“I will fight with you to the end to protect this country,” impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol told supporters in a letter made public Thursday, the third day after a warrant for his arrest on rebellion charges was issued.
“I’ve been watching all your hard work live on YouTube,” Yoon wrote. Supporters resisted attempts to detain him near his residence.
Investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) for high-ranking officials were again deployed outside the residence on Thursday, though it was not clear whether they planned to go inside.
Presidential security services have so far blocked investigators from entering.
The head of the anti-corruption agency has only said that he expects the arrest warrant to be executed by its expiry date of January 6.
The opposition Democratic Party has accused Yoon of instigating supporters
The opposition Democratic Party, which has majority control of parliament and led Yoon’s impeachment on December 14, said the letter showed Yoon is confused, and still determined to carry out his “rebellion”.
“As if trying to foment rebellion was not enough, he is now inciting his supporters to extreme conflict,” party spokesman Jo Seung-lae said in a statement.
Why and how does Yoon face arrest?
The charges against Yun stem from his surprise and short-lived declaration of martial law late on December 3.
Investigators allege that his unsuccessful attempt to shut down parliament, which had voted to overturn Yun’s decision with the support of the courts, was tantamount to “rebellion”.
Rebellion is one of the relatively few charges from which the South Korean president is immune.
If the warrant is executed, Yoon would become the first sitting president of South Korea to face arrest. Efforts to detain him intensified after he refused to cooperate in other investigations.
The Constitutional Court is reviewing the impeachment
Separately, Yoon has been impeached as a result of declaring martial law, with the Constitutional Court hearing that case.
If the court upholds Yoon’s impeachment and he is removed from office, presidential elections will be held within 60 days.
Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok has taken over as acting president pending the outcome of the trial, with Yoon suspended from presidential duties. Han Duk-soo, the first acting president appointed, was impeached last week.
msh/wd (AFP, AP, Reuters)
