In Seoul, pro and anti-Yoon demonstrators clash in front of his official residence, where he has taken refuge

Hundreds of demonstrators clashed on Thursday, January 2, in front of the official residence of the suspended president in Seoul, some demanding his immediate detention and others calling for protection against the threat of his arrest. Under an arrest warrant and a dismissal voted by deputies, 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, Mr. Yoon 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 he is going through. the fourth largest economy in Asia.

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 president lay down in the street, eyes closed and arms crossed, when the 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! »we could also hear. Dozens of people streamed footage of the protests live on YouTube.

The final decision of the Constitutional Court expected

On Wednesday, Mr. Yoon sent a message to his most radical supporters outside his residence, 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 Mr. Yoon's supporters like Kim Sang-bae, 63, 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. A pro-Yoon protester was arrested for obstructing the police, local media reported.

The arrest warrant was illegal, Mr. Yoon's lawyers said, and his security team refused to comply with previously issued search warrants. The president himself ignored the Corruption Investigation Bureau's summons three times, prompting investigators to issue an arrest warrant.

Nearby, hundreds of protesters opposed to Mr. Yoon staged a rival rally, singing the national anthem as dozens of riot police struggled to separate the two rival camps. Mr. Yoon must await the Constitutional Court's final decision on his dismissal, and faces prison time or even the death penalty on the insurrection charges.