Hundreds of South Korean demonstrators clashed Thursday, January 2, in front of the official residence of the deposed president in Seoul, some demanding his immediate detention and others calling for protection against the threat of his arrest.
Under an arrest warrant, Yoon Suk-yeol, 64, remains holed up in his residence, promising to “fight until the end” against authorities who seek to question him over his failed attempt to impose martial law.
Since his coup on December 3, Yoon Suk-yeol has shown no regrets and his systematic refusal to submit to questions from investigators has raised fears that an attempted arrest could degenerate into violence, further aggravating the deep crisis that runs through Asia's fourth-largest economy.
Hundreds of Yoon Suk-yeol's loyal supporters, including radical-right YouTubers and evangelical Christian leaders, gathered outside his residence in Seoul, facing anti-Yoon protesters and riot police.
A woman threw herself in front of a police bus, her arms outstretched over the windshield. Other supporters of the ousted president lay down in the street, eyes closed and arms crossed, when police tried to dislodge them. “Impeachment invalid!” “, protesters shouted while waving South Korean flags and red light sticks.
“Yoon Suk-yeol, Yoon Suk-yeol, we have your back!” We protect you! “, could also be heard. Dozens of people streamed footage of the protests live on YouTube.
“Stop injustice”
Yoon Suk-yeol sent a message to his most radical supporters outside his residence on Wednesday, telling them he was watching them on YouTube and urging them to help him “defend democracy” and to “fight to the end”.
The opposition and several experts have denounced this approach, which they see as an attempt to mobilize the most extreme demonstrators, likely to degenerate into violence.
But supporters of Yoon Suk-yeol said they would not leave the area, determined to “stop injustice” what the arrest of a sitting president represents – a first in South Korean history.
The arrest warrant was illegal, Yoon Suk-yeol's lawyers argued, and his security team refused to comply with previously issued search warrants.
A final decision expected
The president himself ignored the Corruption Investigation Bureau's summons three times, prompting investigators to issue an arrest warrant.
Nearby, hundreds of anti-Yoon protesters staged a rival rally, singing the national anthem as dozens of riot police struggled to separate the two rival camps.
Yoon Suk-yeol must await the Constitutional Court's final decision on his impeachment, and faces prison time or even the death penalty for the insurrection charges.
