South Korean authorities are making a fresh effort to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, days after narrowly avoiding a first attempt to enforce a court-approved warrant with presidential security and military forces protecting him.
A team of investigators arrived at the heavily fortified presidential compound in central Seoul before dawn Wednesday. Yoon has been brought there because he is pushing back against an investigation into government rebellion related to his short-lived declaration of martial law.
Reports suggest authorities are prepared to use a much larger force – including about 1,000 police officers – and more forceful tactics to detain Yoon than their previous attempt nearly two weeks ago.
According to Yonhap news agency, authorities are preparing an operation that could last up to three days and use loudspeakers for psychological warfare as well as cranes and tow trucks to remove any obstacles.
The presidential residence, which is located on a vast, hilly compound in the Hannam-dong neighborhood, has been reinforced with additional barbed wire fencing and tightly packed buses and other vehicles blocking the way to Yun’s residence .
Despite the pre-dawn time and sub-zero temperatures, police estimated that 6,500 Yun supporters gathered in the area early Wednesday.
For weeks, the large street outside the campus has been filled with protesters – mostly supporters of the embattled conservative president, who has vowed to “fight to the end.”
According to Yonhap, some ruling party lawmakers formed a human chain outside the main gate of Yun’s residence early Wednesday to prevent his detention.
If Yoon is detained, authorities will have 48 hours to decide whether to file a formal arrest warrant or release him. This will be the first time that a sitting President of South Korea has been taken into police custody.
Yun was impeached last month after declaring martial law. To remove him from office, the country’s constitutional court will have to uphold his impeachment.
Separately, Yoon is facing a criminal investigation into rebellion and abuse of power, but has rejected multiple requests to appear for questioning as part of that investigation.
Yun’s lawyers have described the detention attempt as politically motivated. They also argue that the court that issued the detention warrant had no jurisdiction to do so, and the anti-corruption agency leading the investigation has no authority to investigate the President for rebellion.
Earlier this week, South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok warned against the possibility of clashes between security forces and urged both sides to act in a “peaceful and restrained manner.”
A previous detention attempt on January 3 was suspended after a six-hour standoff, with the detention team citing the risk of violence.
