Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared poised to evade arrest ahead of a critical Monday night deadline, as anti-graft investigators scrambled to extend a warrant that was set to expire at midnight.
The embattled former prosecutor has steadfastly refused to submit to questioning and remains holed up in his presidential residence. A failed arrest attempt last week left investigators seeking more time to enforce the warrant and appealing for police assistance.
The warrant, initially issued on the grounds that Yoon had defied orders to face questioning over his controversial martial law decree, was set to lapse at 12 a.m. Tuesday (11 p.m. Monday, Singapore time). With the clock ticking, the Chief Investigative Office (CIO) deputy director Lee Jae-seung confirmed that an extension request had been submitted to the court. However, Yoon’s legal team has staunchly contested the validity of the warrant, describing it as “unlawful” and “illegal.”
“We plan to request an extension from the court today,” Lee stated, emphasizing the difficulties encountered during last week’s arrest attempt, which was met with a formidable security presence and resistance from Yoon’s supporters.
The arrest attempt on Friday saw investigators entering Yoon’s presidential compound only to be confronted by hundreds of security personnel. The incident underscored the escalating tensions between authorities and Yoon’s camp, with the opposition Democratic Party calling for the dissolution of the security service protecting the impeached president.
“If the warrant is extended, the police will support the investigators and could arrest anyone shielding Yoon,” a police spokesperson said, signaling an intensification of efforts to detain the president.
The potential arrest of Yoon, already suspended from duty by lawmakers, would mark an unprecedented event in South Korean history, making him the first sitting president to be detained. If detained, authorities would have 48 hours to secure another warrant or release him.
Public sentiment appears divided. Anti-Yoon protest organizer Kim Ah-young expressed frustration at the delays. “They need to arrest him immediately,” she asserted.
Conversely, Yoon’s supporters remain resolute. “The Presidential Security Service will protect the President, and we will protect the Presidential Security Service till midnight,” declared Kim Soo-yong, a protest organizer. “If they get another warrant, we will come again.”
The standoff places South Korea in a precarious legal and diplomatic situation. The Constitutional Court is set to commence Yoon’s impeachment trial on January 14, a proceeding that could continue in his absence.
Sung-Yoon Lee of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars highlighted the broader geopolitical stakes, particularly Yoon’s diplomatic overtures to Japan. “President Yoon has used his political capital to mend fences with Japan,” Lee noted, emphasizing the importance of this relationship in the context of regional stability.
Amidst these domestic upheavals, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Seoul brought an additional layer of complexity. While Blinken praised South Korea’s democratic resilience, his focus shifted due to North Korea’s provocative missile test during his meeting with acting President Choi Sang-mok.
Jay Song of Curtin University’s Korea Research and Engagement Centre cast doubt on the CIO’s ability to enforce the warrant, suggesting that authority might be transferred to the police for a subsequent arrest attempt.
“The CIO seems too weak to push forward with the arrest warrant,” Song remarked. “If the warrant is extended, the police, with their more substantial resources, might take over.”
Public opinion polls indicate a paradoxical rise in support for Yoon’s People Power Party, suggesting that his legal strategy to engage the public has been somewhat effective.
