The impeached President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, was reportedly unable to be apprehended by South Korean investigators, who were thwarted by his armed Secret Service bodyguards in another tense confrontation that followed his short-lived martial-law decree late last month.
Yoon, who is currently under investigation for insurrection and other offenses, has declined three summonses to appear for interrogation.
He and his attorneys regard the legal investigation as unjust. A detainment warrant was issued by a Seoul court on Tuesday, which would require the 64-year-old leader to appear before investigators.
In recent days, Yoon and his legal defense team have criticized the warrant as “illegal and invalid,” and they have demanded that the issuing judge be investigated.
This served as the foundation for the approximately six-hour confrontation that transpired at the presidential residence of South Korea in central Seoul on Friday.
Hundreds of Yoon’s supporters had gathered on the nearby sidewalks, brandishing South Korean and U.S. flags and holding signs that read, “Nullify impeachment.”
When the investigators arrived at the main gate at approximately 7:20 a.m., they were unable to enter due to a parked security-team bus. The vehicles were five black Kia and Hyundai vehicles.
It required nearly three hours for a team of approximately 30 investigators to gain entry. According to the special unit, investigators interacted with Secret Service bodyguards on numerous occasions as they advanced along a restricted road to the presidential residence.
A barricade of approximately 200 armed bodyguards and approximately 10 vehicles awaited them as they approached from a distance of several hundred feet.
The special unit stated that only three prosecutors were permitted to approach the entrance.
This was the initial attempt by investigators to apprehend the conservative Yoon, although it is possible that it will not be the last. The arrest warrant is valid until Monday. They could also request that the court reissue the warrant after it has expired.
The political unrest occurs at a critical juncture for Seoul, as it is accompanied by a looming change in U.S. administrations, an increasingly belligerent North Korea, and a plane accident in South Korea that resulted in the deaths of 179 individuals.
Yoon’s presidential powers were revoked subsequent to his impeachment on December 14. Subsequently, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who had served as interim president while Yoon was absent, was also impeached just last week.
The special investigators had issued a warning that presidential security personnel who assisted Yoon in evading arrest could be prosecuted for obstruction or dereliction of duty.
They regard the execution of the arrest warrant as a standard aspect of the judicial process.
The presidential security detail is mandated by law to safeguard the country’s leader. Yoon, who has been impeached but has not been removed from office, continues to serve as the elected leader of the nation while awaiting a Constitutional Court review.
The court is required to complete this task by mid-June, although it is anticipated that it will proceed at a faster pace.
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