FIle picture of South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol
| Photo Credit: AP

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in court Thursday (February 20, 2025) for a hearing where his lawyers contested his arrest on a criminal charge alleging he was orchestrating a rebellion when he briefly imposed martial law in December.

Security was heightened as the motorcade transporting Mr. Yoon arrived at the Seoul Central District Court and dozens of his supporters rallied nearby.

Mr. Yoon becomes the country’s first sitting head of state to stand trial in a criminal case.

The preliminary hearing will involve discussions of witnesses and other preparations for his criminal trial, and the court was also to review the request by Mr. Yoon’s lawyers to cancel his arrest and release him from custody. Such challenges are rarely successful.

Mr. Yoon was indicted on January 26 on the rebellion charge carrying a potential punishment of death or life in prison. In South Korea, presidents have immunity from most criminal prosecutions, but not on charges of rebellion or treason.

The indictment alleges his imposition of martial law was an illegal attempt to shut down the National Assembly and arrest politicians and election authorities. The conservative Mr. Yoon has said his martial law declaration was intended as a temporary warning to the liberal opposition and that he had always planned to respect lawmakers’ will if they voted to lift the measure.

Mr. Yoon’s presidential powers were suspended when he was impeached Dec. 14, and South Korea’s Constitutional Court is nearing a decision on whether to formally remove him from office or dismiss the Assembly’s impeachment and reinstate him.

EDITORIAL | Costly miscalculation: On the South Korean President’s announcement of martial law

Martial law was lifted about six hours after Mr. Yoon declared it but has caused political turmoil, disrupted high-level diplomacy and tested the resiliency of the country’s democracy. Mr. Yoon’s conservative supporters rioted at the Seoul Western District Court after it authorized his arrest last month, while his lawyers and ruling party have openly questioned the credibility of courts and law enforcement institutions handling the case.

Mr. Yoon has continued to express contempt for his liberal rivals for obstructing his agenda and endorsed baseless conspiracy theories about election fraud to justify his ill-fated authoritarian push.

Mr. Yoon’s defence minister, police chief and several military commanders have also been arrested and indicted on rebellion, abuse of power and other charges related to the martial law decree, which involved hundreds of heavily armed troops deployed to the National Assembly and National Election Commission offices.

Police officers stand guard at the front gate of the Seoul Western District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was formally arrested early on Sunday (January 19, 2025), days after being apprehended at his presidential compound in Seoul. He faces possible imprisonment over his ill-fated declaration of martial law last month.

Mr. Yoon’s arrest could mark the beginning of an extended period in custody, lasting months or more.

The decision to arrest Mr. Yoon triggered unrest at the Seoul Western District Court, where dozens of his supporters destroyed the court’s main door and windows. They used plastic chairs and police shields that they managed to wrestle away from officers. Some got inside the building and were seen throwing objects and using fire extinguishers.

Hundreds of police officers were deployed to suppress the riot at the court. Nearly 90 protesters were arrested onsite, while some injured police officers were seen being treated at ambulance vans. It wasn’t immediately clear whether any court staff were injured.

Following eight hours of deliberation, the court granted law enforcement’s request for an arrest warrant for Mr. Yoon, saying he was a threat to destroy evidence. Mr. Yoon and his lawyers on Saturday appeared before the court and argued for his release.

Mr. Yoon, who has been in detention since he was apprehended Wednesday in a massive law enforcement operation at his residential compound, faces potential rebellion charges linked to his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, which set off the country’s most serious political crisis since its democratization in the late 1980s.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and the military, can now extend Mr. Yoon’s detention to 20 days, during which they will transfer the case to public prosecutors for indictment.

Mr. Yoon’s lawyers could also file a petition to challenge the court’s arrest warrant.

Mr. Yoon’s appearance in court triggered chaotic scenes in nearby streets, where thousands of his fervent supporters rallied for hours calling for his release. Even before the court issued the warrant for Mr. Yoon’s arrest, protesters repeatedly clashed with police who detained dozens of them, including about 20 who climbed over a fence in an attempt to approach the court. At least two vehicles carrying anti-corruption investigators were damaged as they left the court after arguing for Mr. Yoon’s arrest.

Mr. Yoon’s lawyers said he spoke for about 40 minutes to the judge during the nearly five-hour closed-door hearing Saturday. His legal team and anti-corruption agencies presented opposing arguments about whether he should be held in custody.

Mr. Yoon’s Defence Minister, police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested and indicted for their roles in the enforcement of martial law.

The crisis began when Mr. Yoon, in an attempt to break through legislative gridlock, imposed military rule and sent troops to the National Assembly and election offices. The standoff lasted only hours after lawmakers who managed to get through a blockade voted to lift the measure. The opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14.

His political fate now lies with the Constitutional Court, which is deliberating whether to formally remove him from office or reinstate him.

Seok Dong-hyeon, one of Mr. Yoon’s lawyers, called the court’s decision to issue the warrant “the epitome of anti-constitutionalism and anti-rule of law,” maintaining the president’s claim that his martial law decree was a legitimate act of governance. He pointed to the chaos at the Seoul Western Court and said Yoon’s arrest would inspire more anger from his supporters. Mr. Yoon’s People Power Party regretted his arrest but also pleaded for his supporters to refrain from further violence.

The liberal opposition Democratic Party, which drove the legislative effort to impeach Mr. Yoon on Dec. 14, said his arrest would be a “cornerstone for restoring the collapsed constitutional order.”

Mr. Yoon was transported to the court from a detention centre in Uiwang, near Seoul, in a blue Justice Ministry van escorted by police and the presidential security service, to attend the hearing at the court ahead of its warrant decision.

The motorcade entered the court’s basement parking space as thousands of Mr. Yoon’s supporters gathered in nearby streets amid a heavy police presence. Following the hearing, Mr. Yoon was transported back to the detention center, where he awaited the decision. He did not speak to reporters.

After its investigators were attacked by protesters later on Saturday, the anti-corruption agency asked media companies to obscure the faces of its members attending the hearing.

Mr. Yoon and his lawyers have claimed that the martial law declaration was intended as a temporary and “peaceful” warning to the liberal opposition, which he accuses of obstructing his agenda with its legislative majority. Mr. Yoon says the troops sent to the National Election Commission offices were to investigate election fraud allegations, which remains unsubstantiated in South Korea.

Mr. Yoon has stressed he had no intention of stopping the functioning of the legislature. He stated that the troops were sent there to maintain order, not prevent lawmakers from entering and voting to lift martial law. He denied allegations that he ordered the arrests of key politicians and election officials.

Military commanders, however, have described a deliberate attempt to seize the legislature that was thwarted by hundreds of civilians and legislative staff who helped lawmakers enter the assembly, and by the troops’ reluctance or refusal to follow Mr. Yoon’s orders.

If prosecutors indict Mr. Yoon on rebellion and abuse of power charges, which are the allegations now being examined by investigators, they could keep him in custody for up to six months before trial.

If the first court convicts him and issues a prison term, Mr. Yoon would serve that sentence as the case possibly moves up to the Seoul High Court and Supreme Court. Under South Korean law, orchestrating a rebellion is punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty.

Seoul:

South Korean investigators have called in arrested President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning again, the Yonhap News Agency reported, as authorities face a Friday deadline to obtain a warrant to extend his detention or release the embattled leader.

In order to hold Yoon in custody for longer, investigators are expected on Friday to ask a court to approve a detention warrant for up to 20 days, legal experts said.

On Wednesday, Yoon became the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested over a probe into whether he committed insurrection when he briefly imposed martial law in early December. He is being held at the Seoul Detention Centre.

Although Yoon’s lawyers challenged the legality of Yoon’s arrest, the Seoul Central District Court struck down their challenge late on Thursday, ruling that Yoon’s arrest was legal.

Yoon has been recalled for questioning at 10 a.m. (0100 GMT) on Friday, Yonhap reported, citing the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) which is leading the criminal inquiry. The CIO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It was unclear whether Yoon, who has up to now refused to answer questions put to him by investigators, would agree to attend questioning on Friday. A day earlier, Yoon refused to be questioned, with his lawyer citing his health as a factor for his absence.

Authorities have 48 hours to question the impeached president, after which they must release him or seek a warrant to detain him for up to 20 days.

The 48-hour countdown is expected to end on Friday evening after it was paused to allow a court to review the challenge to his arrest, Yonhap said, citing the CIO.

Yoon’s lawyer Seok Dong-hyeon said on Friday investigators were expected to seek a detention warrant, adding “we hope that there will be more careful and comprehensive consideration” of the arrest’s “illegality” when a court reviews the warrant.

South Korea is grappling with its worst political crisis in decades, sparked by Yoon’s brief attempt to impose martial law on Dec. 3 that was voted down by parliament.

Neighbouring North Korea has largely avoided public comment on the political chaos in Seoul, but Yoon’s arrest was reported in state media on Friday, two days after the event.

The Rodong Sinmun newspaper cited foreign media to say it was the first arrest of an incumbent president in South Korea.

“Yoon Suk Yeol is not following legal procedures at the expense of the national order for individual interests,” Rodong Sinmun said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A banner showing an image of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol with the words “With Yoon Suk Yeol’s resignation”, is displayed at a rally demanding his arrest in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

South Korea’s suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol will not attend the first hearing in his impeachment trial next week because of safety concerns, his lawyer said Sunday (January 12, 2025).

“Concerns about safety and potential incidents have arisen. Therefore, the President will not be able to attend the trial on January 14. The President is willing to appear at any time once safety issues are resolved,” Yoon Kab-keun said in a statement sent to AFP.

Hundreds of South Koreans, bundled up against freezing temperatures and snow, rallied overnight into Sunday (January 5, 2025) near the residence of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, calling for his ouster and arrest, as authorities prepared to renew their efforts to detain him over his short-lived martial law decree.

Dozens of anti-corruption agency investigators and police attempted to execute a detainment warrant against Mr. Yoon on Friday but retreated from his residence in Seoul after a tense standoff with the presidential security service that lasted more than five hours.

The one-week warrant for his detention is valid through Monday. There were no immediate indications that anti-corruption authorities were ready to send investigators back to the residence as of Sunday afternoon. Staff from the presidential security service were seen installing barbed wire near the gate and along the hills leading up to Mr. Yoon’s residence over the weekend, possibly in preparation for another detention attempt.

A Seoul court last Tuesday issued a warrant to detain Mr. Yoon and a separate warrant to search his residence after the embattled President repeatedly defied authorities by refusing to appear for questioning and obstructing searches of his office. But enforcing them is complicated as long as Mr. Yoon remains in his official residence.

Investigators from the country’s anti-corruption agency are weighing charges of rebellion after the conservative President, apparently frustrated that his policies were blocked by a legislature dominated by the liberal opposition, declared martial law on Dec. 3 and dispatched troops to surround the National Assembly.

The Assembly overturned the declaration within hours in a unanimous vote and impeached Mr. Yoon on Dec. 14, accusing him of rebellion, while South Korean anti-corruption authorities and public prosecutors opened separate investigations into the events.

If the anti-corruption agency manages to detain Mr. Yoon, it will likely ask a court for permission to make a formal arrest. Otherwise, Mr. Yoon will be released after 48 hours.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military investigators, says detaining Mr. Yoon would be “virtually impossible” as long as he is protected by the presidential security service. The agency has urged the country’s acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, to instruct the service to comply with their execution of the detainment warrant, but Mr. Choi has yet to publicly comment on the issue.

The chiefs and deputy chiefs of the presidential security service defied summonses on Saturday from police, who planned to question them over the suspected obstruction of official duty following Friday’s events.

Mr. Yoon’s legal team said it will file complaints against the anti-corruption agency’s chief prosecutor, Oh Dong-woon, and approximately 150 investigators and police officers involved in Friday’s detention attempt, which they claim was unlawful. The team said it will also file complaints with public prosecutors against the country’s acting Defence Minister and police chief for ignoring the presidential security service’s request to provide additional forces to block the detention attempt.

Mr. Yoon’s lawyers had submitted an objection to the warrants against the president on Thursday, but the Seoul Western District Court dismissed the challenge on Sunday.

Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, called for the anti-corruption agency to move quickly to detain Mr. Yoon, saying it was deeply disappointing to see the agency “hesitating and letting time slip away.”

Hundreds of anti-Yoon protesters rallied for hours near the gates of the presidential residence from Saturday evening to Sunday, voicing frustration over the failed detention attempt and demanding stronger efforts to bring Mr. Yoon into custody. Separated by police barricades and buses, pro-Yoon protesters were gathering in nearby streets, denouncing his impeachment and vowing to block any efforts to detain him.

“With barely a day left before the execution deadline for Yoon Seok Yeol’s detainment warrant, the presidential security service continues to hide a criminal and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials cannot be more relaxed,” Kim Eun-jeong, an activist, said on a stage during the anti-Yoon rally.

“Angry citizens have already spent two freezing nights demanding his immediate detainment. Are their voices not being heard?”

Mr. Yoon’s lawyers have challenged the detention and search warrants against the President, saying they cannot be enforced at his residence due to a law that protects locations potentially linked to military secrets from search without the consent of the person in charge — which would be Mr. Yoon. They also argue the anti-corruption office lacks the legal authority to investigate rebellion charges and that police officers don’t have the legal authority to assist in detaining Mr. Yoon.

While the presidential security act mandates protection for Mr. Yoon, it does not authorize the presidential security service to block court-ordered detainments. The service’s attempts to block the execution of the warrant may amount to an obstruction of official duty, according to Park Sung-bae, an attorney specializing in criminal law. While the President mostly has immunity from prosecution while in office, the protection does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.

The agency said its outnumbered investigators had several scuffles with presidential security forces that threatened their safety and expressed “serious regret” that Mr. Yoon was not complying with the legal process.

After getting around a military unit guarding the residence’s grounds, the agency’s investigators and police were able to approach within 200 metres (yards) of Mr. Yoon’s residential building but were stopped by a barricade comprising around 10 vehicles and approximately 200 members of the presidential security forces and troops. The agency said it wasn’t able to visually confirm whether Mr. Yoon was inside the residence.

The Defence Ministry says the troops at Mr. Yoon’s official residence are under the control of the presidential security service. Kim Seon-ho, the acting Defence Minister, conveyed his concern to the presidential security service, saying that deploying military personnel to block the execution of the detention warrant would be “inappropriate” and requesting that the troops aren’t placed in a position where they might confront police, according to the ministry.

Mr. Yoon’s Defence Minister, police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested over their roles in the period of martial law.

Mr. Yoon’s presidential powers have been suspended since the National Assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14. Mr. Yoon’s fate now lies with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberations on whether to uphold the impeachment and formally remove Mr. Yoon from office or reinstate him.

Seoul:

South Korean investigators called off their attempt to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol at his residence Friday over a failed martial law bid, citing safety concerns after a standoff with his security team.

Yoon, who has already been suspended from duty by lawmakers, would become the first sitting president in South Korean history to be arrested if the warrant is carried out.

The president, who issued a bungled declaration on December 3 that shook the vibrant East Asian democracy and briefly lurched it back to the dark days of military rule, faces imprisonment or, at worst, the death penalty.

“Regarding the execution of the arrest warrant today, it was determined that the execution was effectively impossible due to the ongoing standoff,” the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which is probing Yoon over his martial law decree, said in a statement.

“Concern for the safety of personnel on-site led to the decision to halt” the arrest attempt, the statement said of the confrontation with Yoon’s presidential security service and its military unit.

The deadline for the warrant is Monday, leaving it in limbo with just a few days remaining and Yoon defiant, vowing earlier this week to “fight” authorities seeking to question him.

CIO investigators including senior prosecutor Lee Dae-hwan were earlier let through heavy security barricades to enter the residence to attempt to execute their warrant to detain Yoon.

But soldiers under the Presidential Security Service at one point engaged in a “confrontation with the CIO at the presidential residence,” an official with Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff told AFP.

Before the execution of the court-approved warrant was called off, Yoon’s security detail told AFP they had been “in negotiation” with the CIO investigators who sought to access the president.

Yoon’s security service — which still protects Yoon as the country’s sitting head of state — has previously blocked attempted police raids of the presidential office.

The president himself has ignored three rounds of summons from investigators, prompting them to seek the warrant.

Yoon’s legal team — who raced to the residence and AFP saw allowed inside — decried the attempt to execute the arrest warrant, vowing to take further legal action against the move.

“The execution of a warrant that is illegal and invalid is indeed not lawful,” Yoon’s lawyer Yoon Kap-keun said.

On Friday, prosecutors also indicted two top military officials including one who was briefly named martial law commander during last month’s fiasco, on charges of insurrection, Yonhap reported. Both were already in detention.

Dozens of police buses and hundreds of uniformed police lined the street outside the compound in central Seoul, AFP reporters saw.

About 2,700 police and 135 police buses were deployed to the area to prevent clashes, Yonhap reported, after Yoon’s supporters faced off with anti-Yoon demonstrators Thursday.

All-Night Prayers

South Korean media reported that CIO officials wanted to arrest Yoon and take him to their office in Gwacheon near Seoul for questioning.

After that, he could have been held for up to 48 hours on the existing warrant. Investigators need to apply for another arrest warrant to keep him in custody.

After staging chaotic protests Thursday, a handful of Yoon’s die-hard supporters, which include far-right YouTube personalities and evangelical Christian preachers, had camped outside his compound in the bitter cold — some holding all-night prayer sessions.

They called early Friday for the arrest of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and chanted “Illegal warrant is invalid” as police and media gathered outside the residence.

Pro-Yoon protester Rhee Kang-san told AFP many were “rooting for the president” to survive the arrest attempt.

Lee Hye-sook, a 57-year-old Yoon supporter, said protesters were trying to stop opposition figures from “attempting to transform our country into a socialist state, similar to North Korea”.

Yoon has doubled down on claims the opposition was in league with South Korea’s communist enemies.

Yoon’s legal team had already moved to try and block the arrest warrant at the constitutional court, calling it “unlawful”.

But the head of the CIO, Oh Dong-woon, has warned that anyone trying to block authorities from arresting Yoon could themselves face prosecution.

South Korean officials have previously failed to execute similar arrest warrants for lawmakers — in 2000 and 2004 — due to party members and supporters blocking police for the seven days the warrants were valid.

Yoon also faces a separate Constitutional Court hearing which will confirm or reject his impeachment by parliament.

In rare comments about the South’s politics, North Korean state media on Friday said Seoul was in “political chaos” over attempts to arrest Yoon.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Seoul:

South Korean investigators sought to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol at his residence Friday over a failed martial law bid, but local media reported security forces were blocking their attempts.

Yoon, who has already been suspended from duty by lawmakers, would become the first sitting president in South Korean history to be arrested if the warrant is carried out.

The president, who issued a bungled declaration on December 3 that shook the vibrant East Asian democracy and briefly lurched it back to the dark days of military rule, faces imprisonment or, at worst, the death penalty.

“The execution of the arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol has begun,” said the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which is probing Yoon’s short-lived declaration of martial law, with its officials and police seen entering the president’s residence.

CIO investigators including senior prosecutor Lee Dae-hwan were let through heavy security barricades to enter the residence to attempt to execute their warrant to detain Yoon, AFP reporters saw.

But they were “blocked by a military unit inside” after entering, the Yonhap news agency reported.

They later “moved past” that unit to “confront security service” members inside the residence.

It had been unclear whether the Presidential Security Service, which still protects Yoon as the country’s sitting head of state, would comply with investigators’ warrants.

Members of his security team have previously blocked attempted police raids of the presidential residence, but it was not immediately clear which units had blocked investigators Friday.

Yoon’s legal team decried the attempt to execute the arrest warrant, vowing to take further legal action against the move.

“The execution of a warrant that is illegal and invalid is indeed not lawful,” Yoon’s lawyer Yoon Kap-keun said.

Dozens of police buses and hundreds of uniformed police lined the street outside the compound in central Seoul, AFP reporters saw.

Some 2,700 police and 135 police buses have been deployed to the area to prevent clashes, Yonhap reported, after Yoon’s supporters faced off with anti-Yoon demonstrators Thursday.

Yoon has been holed up inside the residence since a court approved the warrant to detain him earlier this week, vowing to “fight” authorities seeking to question him over his failed martial law bid.

All-Night Prayers

South Korean media have reported that CIO officials want to arrest Yoon and take him to their office in Gwacheon near Seoul for questioning.

After that, he can be held for up to 48 hours on the existing warrant. Investigators need to apply for another arrest warrant to keep him in custody.  

After staging chaotic protests Thursday, a handful of Yoon’s die-hard supporters, which include far-right YouTube personalities and evangelical Christian preachers, had camped outside his compound all night — some holding all-night prayer sessions.

They chanted early Friday for the arrest of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and “Illegal warrant is invalid” as police and media gathered outside the residence.

Pro-Yoon protester Rhee Kang-san told AFP many were “rooting for the president” to survive the arrest attempt.

Lee Hye-sook, a 57-year-old Yoon supporter, said protesters were trying to stop opposition figures from “attempting to transform our country into a socialist state, similar to North Korea”.

Yoon has doubled down on claims the opposition was in league with South Korea’s communist enemies.

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

Yoon’s legal team had already filed for an injunction to a constitutional court to block the warrant, calling the arrest order “an unlawful and invalid act”, and also submitted an objection to the Seoul court that ordered it.

But the head of the CIO, Oh Dong-woon, has 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.

South Korean officials have previously failed to execute similar arrest warrants for lawmakers — in 2000 and 2004 — due to party members and supporters blocking police for the seven days the warrants were valid.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Yoon Suk Yeol. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was resisting arrest for a third day on Thursday (January 2, 2025) 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.

Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a defiant statement to his conservative supporters gathered outside his residence in the capital of Seoul, vowing to “fight to the end” against what he called “anti-state forces,” as law enforcement prepared to detain him over last month’s martial law decree.

Supporters and opponents of Yoon have since camped outside his Presidential residence, while members of his security team have blocked attempted police raids in a dramatic stand-off.

Yoon has gone to ground but remained unrepentant as the crisis has rolled on, issuing a defiant message to his base days before a 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 passed around to protesters, his lawyer Yoon Kab-keun confirmed to AFP.

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

The impeached leader remains in the capital Seoul, the lawyer confirmed to AFP.

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.

Yoon’s legal team has filed for an injunction to block the warrant and claimed Wednesday that the arrest order was “an unlawful and invalid act”.

But Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) chief Oh Dong-woon warned that anyone trying to block authorities from arresting Yoon could themselves face prosecution.

South Korean officials have previously failed to execute arrest warrants for lawmakers — in 2000 and 2004 — due to party members and supporters blocking police for the seven-day period the warrant was valid.

Refused questioning

Discussions between prosecutors and police are taking place in the background of a political crisis that initially saw the country briefly lurch back to the dark days of military rule.

But the martial law order — which he said was aimed at eliminating “anti-State elements” — only lasted a few hours.

Heavily armed troops stormed the building, scaling fences, smashing windows and landing by helicopter, but Yoon was quickly forced into a U-turn after a night of protests.

He was then stripped of his presidential duties by parliament and now faces criminal charges of insurrection that could result in life imprisonment or even the death penalty.

Yoon has since refused summonses for questioning three times and doubled down on claims the opposition was in league with South Korea’s communist enemies.

In the wake of his refusal, supporters have raced to Seoul to support him.

As night fell on Wednesday (January 1, 2025), pro-Yoon protesters spewed vitriol at police while waving glowsticks and anti-impeachment placards.

A constitutional court will rule whether to uphold Yoon’s impeachment.

The turmoil deepened late last week when Yoon’s replacement, Han Duck-soo, was also impeached by parliament for failing to sign bills for investigations into his predecessor.

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok has been installed as acting President and pledged to do all he can to end the political upheaval.

He has since decided to appoint two new judges to the constitutional court hearing Yoon’s impeachment — meeting a key demand of the Opposition but branded an overstepping of his powers by Yoon’s staff.

Choi took office on Friday and found himself immediately thrust into handling a disaster, after a Jeju Air plane crashed on Sunday, claiming 179 lives.

Protesters march during a rally against South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, who declared martial law, which was reversed hours later, in Seoul, South Korea, December 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

South Korea’s suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol authorised the military to fire their weapons if needed to enter parliament during his failed bid to impose martial law, according to a prosecutors’ report seen by AFP on Saturday (December 28, 2024).

The 10-page summary from former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun’s prosecution indictment report, which was provided to the media, also says Mr. Yoon vowed on December 3 to declare martial law three times if necessary.

Mr. Yoon, who was stripped of his duties by the National Assembly this month, is under investigation for his short-lived attempt to scrap civilian rule, which plunged the country into political turmoil and led to his impeachment.

Mr. Yoon’s lawyer Yoon Kab-keun dismissed the prosecutors’ report, telling AFP it was “a one-sided account that neither corresponds to objective circumstances nor common sense”.

As lawmakers rushed to parliament on December 3 to vote down Mr. Yoon’s martial law declaration, heavily armed troops stormed the building, scaling fences, smashing windows and landing by helicopter.

According to the prosecution indictment report, Mr. Yoon told the chief of the capital defence command, Lee Jin-woo, that military forces could shoot if necessary to enter the National Assembly.

“Have you still not got in? What are you doing? Break down the door and drag them out, even if it means shooting,” Mr. Yoon told Mr. Lee, according to the report.

Mr. Yoon also allegedly told the head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, General Kwak Jong-keun, to “quickly get inside” the National Assembly since the quorum for the martial law declaration to be lifted had not been met.

“So quickly get inside the National Assembly and bring out the people inside the chamber, and break down the doors with an axe if necessary and drag everyone out,” the report quotes Mr. Yoon as saying at the time.

After lawmakers rushed inside parliament and voted 190-0 to nullify Mr. Yoon’s declaration in the early hours of December 4, the report says Mr. Yoon told Mr. Lee, “Even if it’s lifted, I can declare martial law a second or third time, so just keep going.”

‘Ugly truth’

The report also included screenshots of senior defence officials’ messages from the day of the martial law declaration.

It said there was evidence that Mr. Yoon had been discussing declaring martial law with senior military officials as early as March.

The declaration followed a budget tussle between Mr. Yoon’s party and the opposition.

Days later, Mr. Yoon in a speech apologised for the “anxiety and inconvenience” and promised there would not be a second declaration of martial law.

Ex-Defence Minister Kim was arrested over his role in the failed martial law bid.

Opposition Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Sun-woo said in a statement on Saturday that “the prosecution has laid bare the undeniable ugly truth about Yoon Suk Yeol, the treasonous ringleader”, adding that he must be “arrested immediately”.

South Korea’s Constitutional Court held its first preliminary hearing on the validity of Mr. Yoon’s impeachment on Friday.

The court will also decide the fate of Mr. Yoon’s replacement, Han Duck-soo, who was impeached Friday over his refusal to complete Mr. Yoon’s impeachment process and bring him to justice.

Tens of thousands of Mr. Yoon supporters and opponents held rival mass rallies in central Seoul on Saturday.

“The martial law was legal, and president Yoon did it because of the insurrectionary opposition Democratic Party,” said 31-year-old Danny Ko, holding the slogan “Legal martial law, Invalid impeachment!”

“The Democratic Party will impeach [acting president] Choi Sang-mok like Han, and the country will go mad.”

An anti-Yoon crowd was gathered nearby holding signs such as: “A new leader for the new year” and “Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol”, with many singing along to K-pop songs and John Lennon’s “Imagine”.

“I felt so relieved when Han was impeached, he was also part of the insurrection” Kwak Min-jeong, 25, told AFP.

Holding a glow stick, Kwak said she would keep protesting until “democracy was achieved”.

“We are holding it to show our commitment, and unlike a candle, it will never go off,” she said.

South Korea’s ruling People Power Party leader Han Dong-hun speaks during a news conference at the National Assembly in Seoul on Monday (December 16, 2024) to announce his resignation after President Yoon Suk Yeol’s parliamentary impeachment.
| Photo Credit: AP

South Korean law enforcement authorities are pushing to summon impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning over his short-lived martial law decree as the Constitutional Court began its first meeting Monday (December 16, 2024) on Mr. Yoon’s case to determine whether to remove him from office or reinstate him.

A joint investigative team involving police, an anti-corruption agency and the Defence Ministry said it plans to convey a request to Mr. Yoon’s office that he appear for questioning on Wednesday (December 11, 2024), as they expand a probe into whether his ill-conceived power grab amounted to rebellion.

Mr. Yoon was impeached by the opposition-controlled National Assembly on Saturday (December 14, 2024) over his Dec. 3 martial law decree. His presidential powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to formally remove him from office or reinstate him. If Mr. Yoon is dismissed, a national election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days.

Mr. Yoon has justified his martial law enforcement as a necessary act of governance against the main liberal opposition Democratic Party that he described as “anti-state forces” bogging down his agendas and vowed to “fight to the end” against efforts to remove him from office.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters have poured onto the streets of the country’s capital, Seoul, in recent days, calling for Mr. Yoon’s ouster and arrest.

It remains unclear whether Mr. Yoon will grant the request by investigators for an interview. South Korean prosecutors, who are pushing a separate investigation into the incident, also reportedly asked Mr. Yoon to appear at a prosecution office for questioning on Sunday (December 15, 2024) but he refused to do so. Repeated calls to a prosecutors’ office in Seoul were unanswered.

Mr. Yoon’s presidential security service has also resisted a police attempt to search Mr. Yoon’s office for evidence.

The request came before the Constitutional Court met Monday (December 16, 2024) to discuss the case. The court has up to 180 days to rule. But observers say that a court ruling could come faster.

In the case of parliamentary impeachments of past presidents – Roh Moo-hyun in 2004 and Park Geun-hye in 2016 – the court spent 63 days and 91 days respectively before determining to reinstate Roh and dismiss Park.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who became the country’s acting leader after Mr. Yoon’s impeachment, and other government officials have sought to reassure allies and markets after Mr. Yoon’s surprise stunt paralyzed politics, halted high-level diplomacy and complicated efforts to revive a faltering economy.

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung urged the Constitutional Court to rule swiftly on Mr. Yoon’s impeachment and proposed a special council for policy cooperation between the government and parliament.

Lee, a firebrand lawmaker who drove a political offensive against Yoon’s government, is seen as the frontrunner to replace him. He lost the 2022 presidential election to Mr. Yoon by a razor-thin margin.

Kweon Seong-dong, floor leader of Mr. Yoon’s conservative People Power Party, separately criticized Lee’s proposal for the special council, saying that it’s “not right” for the opposition party to act like the ruling party.

Mr. Yoon’s impeachment, which was endorsed in parliament by some of his ruling People Power Party lawmakers, has created a deep rift within the party between Mr. Yoon’s loyalists and his opponents. On Monday (December 16, 2024), PPP chair Han Dong-hun, a strong critic of Mr. Yoon’s martial law, announced his resignation.

“If martial law had not been lifted that night, a bloody incident could have erupted that morning between the citizens who would have taken to the streets and our young soldiers,” Mr. Han told a news conference.

Mr. Yoon’s Dec. 3 imposition of martial law, the first of its kind in more than four decades, harkened back to an era of authoritarian leaders the country has not seen since the 1980s. Mr. Yoon was forced to lift his decree hours later after parliament unanimously voted to overturn it.

Mr. Yoon sent hundreds of troops and police officers to the parliament in an effort to stop the vote, but they withdrew after the parliament rejected Mr. Yoon’s decree. No major violence occurred.

Opposition parties have accused Mr. Yoon of rebellion. They say a president in South Korea is allowed to declare martial law only during wartime or similar emergencies and would have no right to suspend parliament’s operations even in those cases.