South Korea is facing its worst political crisis in many decades — an impeached president is hunkering down in the official residence, backed by parts of the military and his official security detail, and openly defying an arrest warrant against him.
Yoon Suk Yeol’s supporters are rallying at the compound to show support and frustrate the efforts of the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) that is trying to detain the politician. On Friday, 30 officials from the agency were forced to retreat from the residence after an hourslong standoff, which included them being confronted by the protesters, a military unit and the head of the Presidential Security Service.
Yoon’s lawyers have insisted that the warrant for his arrest is “illegal and invalid.” The legal team has filed an injunction and even pledged legal action against the anti-corruption agency.
Serving warrant ‘practically impossible’
The CIO expressed “serious regrets over the behavior of the suspect” after pulling its team from the scene.
“We determined that executing the detention warrant would be practically impossible due to the continued confrontation, and suspended the execution out of concern for the safety of on-site personnel caused by the resistance,” the agency said in a statement.
The also said they will “decide on the next steps” after reviewing the situation.
Analysts believe the agency will attempt to carry out the warrant again before it expires next week. However, opinions on Yoon’s future are divided — some believe his return to power is inconceivable, while others point out that he still has a solid base of support across the country and thousands of people who are willing to march for him on the streets of Seoul.