Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has issued a defiant message to conservative supporters, vowing to “fight to the end” against what he calls “anti-state forces.” The president’s statement came as the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials prepares to execute a detainment warrant against him, which was issued by a Seoul court on Tuesday.
The warrant is valid for one week and was issued after Yoon evaded multiple requests to appear for questioning and blocked searches of his office. Yoon’s legal team has warned that police officers attempting to detain him could face arrest by the presidential security service or even civilians.
Yoon’s defiance comes as thousands of his supporters rallied outside his residence, waving flags and chanting anti-impeachment slogans. The liberal opposition Democratic Party has called for law enforcement authorities to execute the warrant immediately, but it remains unclear whether Yoon can be compelled to submit to questioning.
The anti-corruption agency may issue another summons for Yoon to appear for questioning if they are not able to execute the detainment warrant by January 6. If detained, the agency will have 48 hours to investigate Yoon and either request a warrant for his formal arrest or release him.
Yoon’s presidency was suspended following a National Assembly vote to impeach him over his imposition of martial law, which lasted only six hours but has triggered weeks of political turmoil. The Constitutional Court is now deliberating on whether to uphold the impeachment and formally remove Yoon from office or reinstate him.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/south-korean-yoon-martial-law-impeachment-detention-1779809dc6b2c7e5a9478bac17ca7585