Yoon Suk-yeol’s possible detention is unprecedented in the country’s history
South Korea’s Corruption Investigation Bureau announced this Friday that it “started to execute an arrest warrant” against the deposed President, Yoon Suk-yeol, but its agents were blocked inside the presidential residence.
“The execution of the arrest warrant against President Yoon Suk-yeol has already begun,” announced the Senior Officials Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which is centralizing the investigation against the still head of state.
The South Korean news agency Yonhap reported, however, that the CIO agents were “blocked by a military unit inside” the presidential residence.
The France-Presse news agency began by witnessing the crossing of a security barrier erected in front of the presidential residence by one of the CIO’s promoters, accompanied by several other people, at around 8am local time (11pm on Thursday in Lisbon).
The eventual arrest of Yoon Suk-yeol, who remains officially head of state and is only suspended until confirmation of his dismissal by the Constitutional Court, expected by mid-June, is unprecedented in the history of South Korea.
“The execution of the arrest warrant is illegal and invalid”, according to the leader’s lawyer, Yoon Kap-keun, who announced the filing of yet another judicial appeal to block it, after other actions in the meantime presented to challenge the validity of the warrant itself. of detention.
The CIO, which is centralizing investigations into the December 3 coup, has until January 6 to execute the arrest warrant issued by a Seoul court at its request.
Hundreds of Yoon’s supporters, including well-known far-right YouTubers and evangelical Christian priests, camped near the presidential residence throughout last night.
According to Yonhap, around 2,700 police officers were deployed to the area following clashes between supporters and detractors of the deposed president the night before.
It is not known for certain which army unit is physically opposing Yoon’s detention today. In recent weeks, members of his security service had already blocked attempts to search the presidential residence.
CIO Director Oh Dong-woon emphasized that anyone who tries to prevent Yoon’s arrest could be prosecuted.
Yoon surprised the country on the night of December 3 by declaring martial law and sending the army to parliament. Yoon was forced to retreat a few hours later, under pressure from deputies and thousands of protesters.
Since attempting to impose martial law in South Korea, Yoon has shown no regret and his systematic refusal to submit to investigators’ questions has raised fears that an attempted arrest could end in violence, worsening the already difficult situation in the case. .
The 64-year-old former prosecutor did not respond three times to calls to be questioned about the attempted coup d’état, which led the South Korean justice system to issue an arrest warrant.
