RIOT cops have swarmed the home of South Korea’s impeached president as they seek to arrest him.
President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law last month and was soon after sacked by the country’s parliament.
President Yoon declared martial law in a late night TV address last month[/caption]
Cops are outside the residence in Seoul[/caption]
Elite special forces troops stormed the South Korean parliament after the declaration[/caption]
Police and anti-corruption investigators have now arrived outside his Seoul residence as they execute an arrest warrant, Yonhap reports.
Some 3,000 officers have been mobilised for the operation with Yoon under criminal investigation for insurrection.
The arrest of a sitting president would be unprecedented in Korean politics.
Officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) had arrived gates of Yoon’s compound shortly after 7am.
Counter-protesters are now facing off with the cops outside the residence as they seek to protect Yoon.
Some chanted “President Yoon Suk Yeol will be protected by the people,” and called for the head of the investigators to be arrested.
South Korea’s parliament has been carrying out an investigation into the power grab since it happened on December 3.
Yoon is alleged to have told a defence commander to “break down the doors [of the parliament], even if it means shooting.”
But the martial law decree was only in place for six hours as Yoon buckled to public pressure and mass protests that quickly formed.
Elite special forces soldiers armed with high powered rifles stormed the parliament and were given permission to shoot.
Brave MPs and staffers battled the troops with fires extinguishers and built barricades from office furniture.
Within hours, 190 lawmakers had defied the cordons of troops and police to vote against Yoon’s order.
Analysts described Yoon’s decision as a “last ditch attempt” by a “lame duck president” to push his agenda through.
Despite being impeached, Yoon declared he would “not give up” and called for officials to maintain government stability.
SCANDAL AND CONTROVERSY
Yoon’s brief two years in power have been marred with personal and political scandals.
He narrowly won the 2022 election but his approval ratings slowly bombed during his term in power.
His wife Kim Keon Hee became embroiled in a scandal after she was accused of influence peddling.
The couple were alleged to have improperly influenced the People Power Party’s candidate selection for the 2022 parliamentary by-election, which Yoon denied.
They were also accused of being under the influence of an unknown unelected power broker who – through Yoon – was exercising power on party affairs.
Despite the president’s strong denial, his approval rating plummeted to below 20%.
Their problems did not stop there as a handbag scandal engulfed the president’s wife.
Kim Keon Hee sparked outrage after she was caught allegedly accepting a 3m won (£1,800) luxury Dior handbag from a supporter.
The president also provoked anger when he refused to fire top officials after a 2022 Halloween night disaster, in which 159 people were killed, he was accused of protecting his “yes men”.
Yoon, the former prosecutor famous for investigating corruption cases, had become embroiled in his own scandals.
Despite stating his martial law decree was to root out supposed North Korean influence, many believed this move was made to protect himself.
Political staffers barricaded doors as the soldiers entered the building[/caption]
Soldiers tussled with protesters as they tried to storm the parliament[/caption]
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