“Thank you, thank you!” Dozens of demonstrators congratulate the columns of police who go up Hannam Avenue in Seoul, near the presidential residence. Officials have just participated in the arrest of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is being prosecuted for “rebellion” after the temporary establishment of martial law on December 3. The second time was good for the police and the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO). After the failure of a first arrest attempt on January 3, investigators obtained a new warrant and officially executed it mid-morning on Wednesday, January 15.
Smiles, even a few tears of joy, are visible on the faces of participants in the anti-Yoon rally as the police leave the area. The atmosphere contrasts with that of the demonstration located a hundred meters further, where thousands of supporters of the fallen president displayed disappointed expressions. But Nam Jae-hyun, in her fifties, is rather combative: “We protect