Deposed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will be arrested before the arrest warrant issued against him expires on January 6, investigators said Wednesday who are centralizing investigations into his failed attempt to impose martial law in early December .
The order will be implemented “within the deadline”, which is Monday at the latest, Oh Dong-woon, head of the Senior Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), told reporters.
The issuance of an arrest warrant against a sitting head of state is a first in South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol still officially being the titular president while waiting for the Constitutional Court to confirm or overturn his dismissal, voted on December 14 by the deputies.
The former star prosecutor stunned the country on December 3 by proclaiming martial law by surprise and sending the army to Parliament to try to muzzle him, before being forced to back down a few hours later under pressure of the National Assembly and thousands of demonstrators.
He is the target of several investigations, including one for “rebellion”, a crime theoretically punishable by death, and is prohibited from leaving the territory.
Investigators hope for “a smooth process without major disruption”, explained Mr. Oh, warning however that “mobilization of the police” was possible.
“We consider actions such as setting up barricades and locking the iron gates (of Mr. Yoon’s residence) to resist the execution of our arrest warrant as obstruction of official functions,” he continued. responsible, specifying that anyone who opposed the arrest of the deposed leader could “be prosecuted” in court.
Supporters and detractors of Mr. Yoon gathered near his home, AFP noted. Live footage shows the two camps shouting abuse at each other, separated by police shouting at protesters to stay away.
The deposed president has been cloistered at home for weeks, and has ignored three successive summons to be questioned about his coup.
Mr. Yoon’s lawyers denounced an “illegal and invalid” warrant and filed a request for an injunction to have it quashed.
It is impossible to know exactly when Yoon Suk Yeol will be arrested, his security service having already obstructed searches three times, even though on court orders.
– Two appointments to the Constitutional Court –
According to his office, the majority of his remaining staff, including senior advisers, submitted their resignations to caretaker President Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on Wednesday.
Mr. Choi has wielded presidential powers since Parliament impeached Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Friday, who initially took over but was quickly ousted on charges of obstructing investigations into Yoon Suk Yeol.
The latter had justified his shock decision of December 3 by his desire to protect South Korea from “North Korean communist forces” and to “eliminate elements hostile to the State”, accusing the majority opposition to Assembly to block the country.
A sufficient number of deputies had managed to meet urgently in a Parliament surrounded by special forces and to vote on a text demanding the lifting of martial law. Mr. Yoon had to comply a few hours later, obliged by the Constitution.
The Constitutional Court must rule by mid-June on the validity of the impeachment motion adopted against him, and thus decide to dismiss him definitively or return power to him.
On Tuesday, Acting President Choi appointed two new judges to the court, which had three vacant seats out of nine, to study the case.
This was a recurring demand from the opposition, a two-thirds majority (i.e. six votes) being necessary to confirm a dismissal.
Barely appointed, Mr. Choi also finds himself confronted with the worst air crash ever to occur on South Korean soil, with the accident on Sunday in Muan (southwest) of a plane carrying 181 passengers. In total, 179 died and the exact causes of the tragedy are still under investigation.
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