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South Korean investigators make second attempt to detain indicted president


Authorities investigate suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived at his residence on Wednesday in a second attempt to arrest him for his ill-fated declaration of martial law last month.

Police sent about 3,200 officers to the president’s sprawling hillside estate in Seoul, according to Reuters, where he has spent weeks hiding while surrounded by a personal security detail.

The video shows officers approaching Yoon’s residence. according to Reuterswhere hundreds of his followers had already gathered to protest on his behalf. Earlier, they were allegedly seen pushing a group of them.

ACCUSED PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA AVOIDS ATTEMPT AT ARREST AFTER AN HOUR OF CONFRONTATION

An earlier attempt to detain Yoon was called off on Jan. 3 after a six-hour standoff between military guards and the president’s security staff.

“As I have repeatedly stressed, the need to prevent physical conflicts between state agencies,” acting President Choi Sang-mok said in a statement Wednesday. “I will hold those responsible severely accountable if unfortunate events occur.”

Yoon Suk Yeol speaks

Authorities are making a second attempt to detain suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol following last month’s declaration of martial law. (South Korean Presidential Office via AP, File)

Executing an arrest warrant for Yoon has proven difficult for investigators, as the president’s legal adviser insists it is impossible to do so under a law that prohibits nonconsensual searches of locations potentially linked to military secrets.

Yoon’s lawyers have also denounced the order as an illegal means of publicly humiliating him.

ARRESTS WARRANT ISSUED FOR CHARGED SOUTH KOREA PRESIDENT AS POLITICAL CRISIS DEEPENS

The arrest warrant is the first issued against a sitting South Korean president. The court order against Yoon stems from his declaration of martial law on December 3, due to apparent frustration with the opposition-dominated parliament’s refusal to approve key points of his political agenda.

The move was criticized within South Korea and abroad, where analysts expressed surprise at the sudden and unprecedented move in what is normally one of the most stable democracies in Asia.

Officers approach Yoon's residence

Police officers are seen approaching the residence of suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, South Korea, along with investigators from the Corruption Investigation Bureau for Senior Officials. (REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji)

Parliament unanimously rejected Yoon’s statement and subsequently suspended him on December 14 in a 204-85 vote that included members of his own party.

Yoon will be formally charged if the Constitutional Court ratifies the motion with a three-quarters majority.

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The next court hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

Reuters contributed to this report.



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