South Korean authorities investigating President Yoon Suk Yeol have arrived at his official residence in a second attempt to detain the embattled leader for questioning over his short-lived declaration of martial law last month, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
Vehicles from the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which is working with police and the defense ministry to investigate Yoon, were seen arriving at the property early Wednesday, according to Yonhap. Members of the police appeared to be part of the arrest team.
Meanwhile, video from Reuters also showed groups of protesters crowding the main gate of the residence. A white van marked “POLICE” with flashing blue lights was also seen approaching the entrance flanked by uniformed officers.
Despite sub-zero conditions, demonstrators could be heard chanting “resign,” “your time is up” and “take responsibility.”
The crowds were accompanied by lines of uniformed police, and a combination of police buses and protester buses remained outside the residence, blockading the street.
Video from YTN showed a large sign on the back of one bus that read “Yoon Suk Yeol, Step Down” and “Insurrection Department – Yoon Suk Yeol” in Korean. Both slogans are typical for anti-Yoon protests since the president launched his abortive attempt at declaring martial law.
For weeks, the embattled president has been holed up in his fortified residence, surrounded by his Presidential Security Service team, evading arrest as he faces several probes and an impeachment trial following his short-lived decree.
Yoon is wanted for questioning in multiple investigations, including over accusations of leading an insurrection – a crime punishable by life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
Efforts to take him into custody earlier this month were thwarted after an hours-long showdown in which soldiers and members of the presidential security detail blocked some 80 police and investigators from approaching the presidential compound.
Martial law declaration
Yoon declared martial law in a surprise late-night address on December 3, claiming opposition lawmakers had “paralyzed state affairs” and that the move was necessary to “safeguard a liberal South Korea” from the threats posed by “anti-state elements.”
Members of the National Assembly, including some from Yoon’s own party, voted to reverse the declaration some six hours later. Yoon’s order faced fierce backlash from the public and lawmakers across the political spectrum, reviving painful memories of the country’s authoritarian past.
In the weeks since, the country has been in political disarray with parliament also voting to impeach its prime minister and acting president Han Duck-soo, just weeks after it voted to impeach Yoon. The finance minister Choi Sang-mok is now acting president.
This is a developing story and will be updated.