South Korea’s impeached president resists arrest over martial law bid

SEOUL: Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol remained defiantly inside his residence resisting arrest for a third day on Thursday, after vowing to “fight” authorities seeking to question him over his failed martial law bid.

The embattled leader issued the bungled declaration on December 3 that led to his impeachment and has left him facing arrest, imprisonment or, at worst, the death penalty. Opponents of Yoon camping outside his presidential residence laid on the ground to impede police on Thursday, while members of his security team have blocked earlier attempted police raids in a dramatic stand-off.

“We expect the CIO (Corruption Investigation Office) will enter through the main gate... to arrest President Yoon, so our colleagues are lying down at the moment to prevent them,” pro-Yoon protester Rhee Kang-san said.

The protesters shouted “protect the president, protect, protect, protect!” as police tried to disperse those lying on the ground and control the crowd, which included a rival anti-Yoon rally.

Yoon has gone to ground but remained unrepentant as the crisis has rolled on, issuing a defiant message to his base days before an arrest warrant expires on January 6.

“The Republic of Korea is currently in danger due to internal and external forces threatening its sovereignty, and the activities of anti-state elements,” he said in a statement to protesters confirmed by his lawyer.

“I vow to fight alongside you to the very end to protect this nation,” he added, saying he was watching their protest on a YouTube live stream.

Yoon´s lawyer confirmed to AFP that the impeached leader remained inside the presidential compound.

Opposition lawmakers were quick to condemn Yoon´s message as inflammatory, with Democratic Party spokesperson Jo Seoung-lae calling him “delusional” and accusing him of trying to incite clashes.

The suspended president´s legal team has filed for an injunction to block the warrant and described the arrest order on Wednesday as “an unlawful and invalid act”.

CIO chief Oh Dong-woon warned that anyone trying to block authorities from arresting Yoon could themselves face prosecution.

Along with the summons, a Seoul court issued a search warrant for his official residence and other locations, a CIO official told AFP.

The presidential security service´s official stance in response to the warrants has been to follow procedure.

They have cited two articles in South Korea´s Criminal Procedure Act that prohibit seizure from locations where official secrets are stored, without consent of the person in charge.