South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to “fight to the end” against what he labeled “anti-state forces,” as police prepared to arrest him over a contentious martial law decree he issued last month. Speaking outside his Seoul residence on Wednesday, Yoon charged that his enemies threatened the sovereignty of the nation and its constitutional order.
A Seoul court issued a warrant for the detainment of Yoon on Tuesday after he refused to cooperate with an investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials. The investigation focuses on whether Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3 was an act of rebellion. Prosecutors have a week to carry out the warrant, and the police are ready to act as early as Thursday. However, Yoon’s security team has warned of resistance, which has created fears of confrontation.
According to Yoon’s lawyers, the warrant is not valid because there is no legal jurisdiction of an anti-corruption agency over the charge of rebellion and procedural breaches. They added that any detention attempt by police may result in the arrest of officers by the security service assigned to Yoon or citizens. The CIO can issue a new summons should the warrant stay unexecuted until January 6.
Amid heavy police presence, Yoon’s supporters continued to gather on Thursday, waving South Korean and American flags and protesting his impeachment. The liberal opposition Democratic Party has accused Yoon of inciting supporters to obstruct his detention and urged law enforcement to act decisively.
Yoon’s impeachment, following the National Assembly’s December 14 vote, has plunged South Korea into political uncertainty. The Constitutional Court is deliberating whether to uphold the impeachment, which requires the approval of six out of nine justices to formally remove Yoon from office.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who now serves as acting president, has filled the two new justices for the court that could sway the ruling. Political tension is building as the situation is still very critical, and the nation awaits the Constitutional Court’s verdict on Yoon’s fate.
