Protests and Security Standoff Halt Arrest of South Korea’s Impeached President Yoon

World | January 3, 2025, Friday // 10:17
Bulgaria: Protests and Security Standoff Halt Arrest of South Korea’s Impeached President Yoon

South Korea’s anti-corruption agency, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), suspended its attempt to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday after a standoff with the Presidential Security Service (PSS) at the presidential residence. The agency announced that the operation was halted at 1:30 p.m., about five hours after investigators arrived, citing the safety risks posed by resistance from security personnel.

In a press release, the CIO expressed regret over Yoon’s refusal to comply with legal procedures, describing the resistance as a hindrance to justice. The agency stated that it would review the situation before deciding on further action. The confrontation came after investigators presented court-issued warrants to arrest Yoon and search his residence, but they were blocked by PSS chief Park Chong-jun, who cited restrictions on access to secured areas.

Earlier in the day, over 1,000 pro-Yoon protesters gathered near the residence, shouting slogans like "Illegal warrant! Completely invalid!" and "Arrest the CIO." To maintain order, around 2,700 police officers were deployed. Yoon’s legal team called the warrants “illegal and invalid” and filed an injunction to prevent their execution.

The CIO pursued the detention warrant after Yoon failed to respond to three summonses for questioning. Investigators had planned to take Yoon to the CIO’s headquarters in Gwacheon for interrogation before detaining him at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang. However, the operation was ultimately suspended due to the standoff.

The detention attempt followed Yoon’s impeachment by the National Assembly on December 14 for his attempt to impose martial law. In the secret ballot, 204 lawmakers voted in favor of impeachment, 85 opposed it, and three abstained. Eight votes were declared invalid. The impeachment required a two-thirds majority in the 300-member assembly, all of whom participated in the vote. Following the decision, Yoon was suspended from office.

The standoff and protests highlight the polarized political climate in South Korea as the country grapples with the fallout from Yoon’s impeachment and his controversial actions in office.

Sources:

  • Yonhap News Agency
  • ANI
World » Be a reporter: Write and send your article
Tags: Yoon Suk Yeol, Korea, president

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria