the arrest of the president prevented by his bodyguards

South Korea is sinking further into political and judicial confusion, after the thunderclap caused by President Yoon Suk Yeol during his failed attempt, at the beginning of December 2024, to impose martial law in the country .

After having dispatched, on the morning of Friday, January 2, a team to carry out the arrest warrant issued against Mr. Yoon, the investigators, prevented from achieving their ends by his bodyguards, announced, after more than five hours of tension, suspend the operation launched in his residence in Seoul.

“Regarding the execution of the arrest warrant today, it was determined to be materially impossible due to the continuing impasse. Concerns for the safety of on-site personnel led to the decision to halt the execution”declared in a press release the office of investigation into the corruption of senior personalities (CIO), responsible for centralizing the investigation for “rebellion” against the head of state, who had previously ignored three summons to appear to be questioned.

Arriving aboard five cars, whose journey was followed live since dawn by South Korean television, a team from the anti-corruption service was apparently blocked for a long time by a minibus parked across the entrance to the Mr. Yoon’s house. She finally managed to enter the residence, but, according to South Korean media, a tense face-to-face took place between the police officers who came to arrest Mr. Yoon and the bodyguards of the president, cloistered in his house in the heights of the chic Hannam district.

A Joint Staff officer in Seoul told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the IOC team was “enter into confrontation” with soldiers placed under the orders of the presidential security service. The latter, for his part, told AFP that he had carried out “negotiations” with the IOC. This security service, which continues to protect Mr. Yoon as acting head of state, had already prevented several searches by investigators at Mr. Yoon’s home in recent days.

An “illegal” arrest attempt, according to the president’s lawyer

Investigators have until Monday to execute the arrest warrant issued by a Seoul court against Mr. Yoon, which expires after seven days. The arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol, who officially remains the head of state and is only suspended pending confirmation by the Constitutional Court of his dismissal by mid-June, would be unprecedented in history of South Korea.

The president’s team of lawyers arrived at the residence in the morning. One of them, Seok Dong-hyeon, wrote on Facebook that he was “convinced that [les enquêteurs] not succeed[aie]not to execute the arrest warrant today”. “The execution of this arrest warrant is illegal and invalid”estimated, for his part, another lawyer of the leader, Yoon Kap-keun, announcing a new legal action to block this execution, in addition to those he has already filed to contest the validity of the mandate itself.

Hundreds of Mr. Yoon’s diehard supporters, including well-known far-right YouTubers and evangelical Christian preachers, camped near the presidential residence overnight from Thursday to Friday, with some holding all-night prayer sessions. « Yoon Suk Yeol! Yoon Suk Yeol! »they chanted, waving red light sticks, monitored by the police present in large numbers. According to the Yonhap agency, some 2,700 police officers were deployed in the area, after clashes between supporters and detractors of the president the previous evening.

Yoon Suk Yeol vows to “fight until the end”

Yoon Suk Yeol stunned South Korea on the night of December 3 to 4 by imposing martial law and sending the army to Parliament to try to muzzle him, an episode that reminded the country of the dark hours of the military dictatorship . He was forced to backtrack a few hours later, when MPs managed to enter Parliament and pass a motion demanding the lifting of martial law while their aides blocked the doors of the Hemicycle with furniture and thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators gathered outside.

On Friday, prosecutors charged two senior military officials, one of whom was briefly named a martial law commander, with “rebellion,” Yonhap reported. Both are in detention.

The 64-year-old former star prosecutor has shown no contrition since his dismissal by Parliament on December 14, even swearing to “beat to the end” in a letter distributed to his supporters. “The Republic of Korea is currently in danger due to internal and external forces threatening its sovereignty, and the activities of anti-state elements”he wrote.

The Democratic Party, the main opposition force, described these remarks as “delusional”. “It’s been a month since the country became a complete wreck due to the illegal declaration of martial law on December 3, but Mr. Yoon’s message to his supporters shows that he has not the slightest sense of remorse or responsibility »estimated, Friday, in an editorial, the major right-wing daily Dong-A Ilbo. “President Yoon’s behavior, relying on his most extremist supporters, is beyond embarrassing. It is reaching deplorable levels”adds the newspaper.

Presidential powers are now in the hands of Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok after Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who was acting president, was in turn dismissed by Parliament. Since then, Mr. Choi has partially acceded to an opposition request by appointing two new judges to the Constitutional Court, three of whose nine seats are vacant. This court must rule by a two-thirds majority to confirm the dismissal of the president, otherwise he will automatically return to his chair.