South Korea's Impeached President Faces Arrest in Dramatic Showdown

South Korea's Impeached President Faces Arrest

South Korean authorities attempted to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday morning over insurrection charges related to his December 3rd martial law declaration.

Hundreds of police officers approached Mr. Yoon's residence, where he has been under guard for weeks. The investigators arrested the acting head of his security service, who had previously thwarted an arrest attempt.

News reports suggested Mr. Yoon's detention could be imminent, leading to minor clashes between pro-Yoon protesters and police. Authorities deployed 3,200 officers to execute the arrest, encountering hundreds of supporters who had gathered despite the freezing temperatures.

Mr. Yoon's declaration of martial law sent shockwaves through South Korea, plunging the vibrant democracy into unprecedented political turmoil. The arrest warrant marks the first ever issued against a sitting South Korean president. Mr. Yoon's lawyers maintain the arrest attempts are illegal and intended to publicly humiliate him.

Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court is deliberating whether to uphold the impeachment vote by lawmakers, which would permanently remove Mr. Yoon from office.

The latest arrest attempt captivated the nation, with hundreds of thousands glued to live feeds since early morning. The anti-corruption unit leading the investigation arrived at the residence at 4 a.m., encountering hundreds of pro-Yoon protesters.

The opposition Democratic Party, holding a majority in parliament, called on Mr. Yoon to comply with the arrest. "There is no place to run anymore," the party stated.

Others supported the authorities' attempt to arrest Mr. Yoon. "The law should be equal for everyone, even the president," said one supporter.

Mr. Yoon's lawyers argue the arrest warrant is illegal due to jurisdictional issues and the lack of legal mandate for the investigative team. The team, composed of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the police, secured a reissued warrant on January 7th and held meetings with Mr. Yoon's security detail to ensure a successful execution.

Oh Dong-woon, head of the CIO, affirmed that authorities would take all necessary steps to bring Mr. Yoon into custody.