South Korea in Political Crisis as President Resists Arrest

AFP/APP

Seoul: South Korea plunged into political uncertainty on Saturday as President Yoon Suk Yeol resisted arrest following a failed martial law decree, with the warrant for his arrest set to expire within days.

In dramatic scenes on Friday, presidential guards and military personnel shielded Yoon from investigators, forcing them to abandon the arrest attempt due to safety concerns.

“There was a standoff. While we estimated the personnel blocking us to be around 200, there could have been more,” an official from the investigation team said anonymously.

Yoon was impeached and suspended last month after his martial law declaration was swiftly overturned by parliament. He faces charges of insurrection, a crime exempt from presidential immunity, carrying penalties that could include life imprisonment or even the death penalty.

Arrest Standoff

Since his impeachment, Yoon has remained inside his presidential residence in Seoul, refusing three summonses for questioning. Friday’s standoff, which included clashes but no gunfire, left the arrest attempt in limbo.

The Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) probing the case has until Monday to execute the warrant or apply for a new one.

The Constitutional Court will begin Yoon’s impeachment trial on January 14, which will proceed in his absence if he does not attend.

Yoon’s lawyers criticized the arrest attempt as “unlawful and invalid” and pledged legal action. Meanwhile, two top officials from Yoon’s security service declined police summons for questioning, citing their responsibility to protect him.

Experts suggest investigators may hold off on another arrest attempt until the Constitutional Court rules on Yoon’s impeachment, potentially stripping him of his presidential title.

“It may be challenging to carry out the arrest until the court resolves the impeachment motion,” said Chae Jin-won of Humanitas College at Kyung Hee University.

US Calls for Stability

The political turmoil has raised concerns about South Korea’s stability. The United States, a key ally, urged the country’s leadership to work toward a “stable path” forward.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to bilateral ties. Outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit Seoul on Monday to discuss South Korea-US relations and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

Defiance and Turmoil

Yoon remains defiant, vowing to fight “to the very end” for his political survival. When investigators attempted to arrest him, around 20 CIO officials and 80 police officers faced resistance from nearly 200 soldiers and security personnel guarding the presidential compound.

After a tense six-hour standoff, investigators were forced to retreat and stated they would seek the acting president’s support to back the warrant.

The political crisis continues to unfold, threatening to destabilize the nation as both domestic and international attention remains fixed on the resolution of the situation.