President Yoon Suk Yeol, the recently impeached South Korean President is facing arrests from South Korea’s anti-corruption investigators following a week-long standoff.
President Yoon Suk Yeol has refused to surrender for questioning regarding his alleged failed martial law bid.
The Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) has made multiple attempts to take President Yoon Suk Yeol into custody, but he has remained in his residence.
A previous arrest attempt ended in a tense standoff, prompting investigators to seek an extension of the arrest warrant.
“We plan to request an extension from the court today,” CIO deputy director Lee Jae-seung announced.
The case has plunged South Korea into its worst political crisis in decades.
Yoon faces charges of insurrection for suspending civilian rule, with potential penalties ranging from imprisonment to the death sentence.
Despite the gravity of the accusations, Yoon and his supporters accuse the CIO of overreach.
The standoff has sparked protests and demonstrations, with pro-Yoon lawmakers and supporters gathering outside his residence.
Police have erected barricades in anticipation of further protests.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Seoul for talks with South Korean officials, including acting President Choi Sang-mok.
The meeting comes amid heightened tensions in the region following North Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
South Korea’s Constitutional Court is set to begin Yoon’s impeachment trial on January 14.
The trial could continue in his absence, with a prosecutors’ report revealing that Yoon disregarded objections from key cabinet members when initiating his martial law bid.
The country faces unprecedented uncertainty, with the potential for Yoon to become the first sitting president to be detained.
The Democratic Party has called for the dissolution of Yoon’s security service, while his legal team has pledged to fight the allegations in court.
