Chaos in South Korea reaches new heights: arrest of ousted president prevented by 200 soldiers and agents of his security service

His attempt to impose martial law on December 3, 2024, was rejected by Parliament, he and his – interim – successor, Han Duck-soo, were dismissed, but Yoon Suk Yeol persists in fleeing South-South justice. Korean. Investigators tried, Friday, December 3, to arrest the president who has been suspended since the National Assembly voted in favor of his dismissal on Saturday, December 14, holed up in his residence in Seoul.

Problem is, his bodyguards blocked the operation, preventing the operation carried out by the courts. Around twenty investigators from the Office for the Investigation of Corruption of Senior Personalities (CIO), assisted by eighty police officers, went to the site. The president's security forces had, in anticipation, blocked the access road with around ten minibuses and other vehicles parked on the road.

“Forcing passage was not possible”

The investigators still managed to enter the property by taking a circuitous path on the hillside, before finally being blocked by around 200 soldiers and agents of the presidential security service, who formed a human wall by standing by. arms to prevent them from passing.

For nearly six hours, prosecutors and agents of the CIO – which is centralizing the investigation for “rebellion” opened against Yoon Suk Yeol – remained inside the presidential residence, on the heights of the chic Hannam district. They ended up leaving around 1:30 p.m. (French time), without Yoon Suk Yeol.

“There were minor and major physical altercations” between the two camps, explained an IOC member, specifying that no member of his team had seen Yoon Suk Yeol during the raid. “Forcing passage was not realistically possible, as the number of people gathered there was significantly greater than that of our teamhe warned. Due to serious security fears, the execution was suspended. »

An arrest warrant deemed “illegal and invalid”

Targeted by an arrest warrant, Yoon Suk Yeol resists and refuses to let justice do its work. Thursday, January 1, for the third consecutive day, the deposed president escaped arrest, promising to “fight until the end” against authorities who seek to question him over his failed attempt to impose martial law.

The Senior Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which is centralizing investigations into the December 3 coup, has until January 6 to execute the arrest warrant issued by a Seoul court against Yoon Suk Yeol – also under investigation for “rebellion”, a crime punishable by death. At issue: the deposed president ignored three consecutive summons to be questioned.

Yoon Suk Yeol therefore does not have the right to leave South Korea as long as the investigation continues. This is why the former prosecutor took refuge in his official residence in Seoul. His legal team has filed an appeal against the arrest warrant, arguing that it is “illegal and invalid”. IOC chief Oh Dong-woon warned that anyone who tried to prevent his arrest could face prosecution themselves.

A court also issued search warrants for Yoon Suk Yeol's official residence. But the presidential security service – the number of members present on site is not known – has so far prevented investigators from entering, invoking a law prohibiting searches in places containing secrets of State without the agreement of the person responsible.

Officially, the official line of the presidential security service must obey court decisions. However, previous cases show that the latter can hinder a judicial investigation. For example in 2000 and 2004, when the South Korean authorities failed to arrest elected officials, hampered by a crowd of supporters who prevented the police from seizing the suspects, during the seven days during which the warrants were issued. The judgment was valid.

A message of distrust against justice and the National Assembly

Supporters of the deposed president thus seem to have adopted the same tactic, while a large number of them demonstrate almost constantly near his residence, insulting each other over the police officers who separate them.

The former star prosecutor, aged 64, has, for his part, shown no contrition since his dismissal. On the contrary, he even went so far as to send a message of distrust against justice and the National Assembly to his own base: “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 in a letter distributed to his supporters camped near his home.

“I swear to fight with you until the end to protect this nation”he said. According to him, the deposed president would follow these demonstrations carefully, live on YouTube. A message “delirious”denounced Jo Seoung-lae, the spokesperson for the Democratic Party, the main opposition force in the National Assembly, for whom Yoon Suk Yeol – supported by the most conservative movements in the country, notably the far right linked to the evangelical Protestant movement – ​​continues to incite violence.

By fleeing arrest, the politician known for his conservative positions – liberal, anti-feminist, virulent towards North Korea – hopes to interfere with the next decision of the Constitutional Court, which must validate or invalidate his dismissal by mid- June. Moreover, he remains, in the meantime, the president of the country on paper. The situation, blocked, continues to plunge the country into crisis.

A crisis worsened on Friday December 27, when Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who was acting as president, was in turn dismissed by Parliament. Presidential powers are now in the hands of Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who has promised to do everything possible to end the political chaos.