Thousands protest in South Korea as Yoon resists second arrest attempt Politics News

Thousands of South Koreans continued to gather in Seoul for rival protests as investigators prepare another attempt to arrest President Yoon Suk-yeol, who has been suspended under a short-term martial law amid warnings of potential bloodshed.

Pro- and anti-Yoon protesters gathered along major roads in the center of the nation’s capital on Saturday in sub-zero conditions to demand either his arrest or an annulment of his impeachment.

Yoon was resisting arrest last week during a standoff between his guards and investigators. On December 3, the takeover failed It plunged South Korea into its worst political crisis in decades.

Park Chong-jun, Yoon’s security chief, resigned on Friday after being investigated for obstructing the embattled president’s arrest. Park warned that no further efforts would be made to arrest the former leader should refrain from violence.

He told reporters that the attempt to arrest Yoon was wrong and “there should be no physical confrontation or bloodshed under any circumstances.”

On Saturday, Park was again questioned for obstructing Yoon’s arrest.

The country has been tense for weeks after Yoon led soldiers to storm parliament, where they tried to prevent politicians from voting on martial law.

Since the failed martial law attempt, Yoon has been impeached by parliament, and he has been suspended pending the constitutional court’s final decision on his removal from office.

Meanwhile, prosecutors conducted a separate investigation and issued a court order for Yoon’s arrest and detention, which the president’s security denied. The arrest warrant expired on Monday.

Kim Seong-hun took over from Park as Yoon’s chief of security. He is expected to lead efforts to prevent the execution of a second arrest warrant. According to reports, Yoon’s bodyguards have fortified his Seoul residence with barbed wire and bus barricades.

The CIO said it would “fully prepare” for a second attempt to arrest Yoon, and warned that anyone standing in their way could be detained.

The National Bureau of Investigation, a police unit, also sent a note to senior police officials in Seoul asking them to prepare to mobilize 1,000 investigators for the new attempt, Yonhap news agency reported.

If Yoon gets custody, he will The first president of South Korea was arrested.

Al Jazeera’s Patrick Fok, reporting from Seoul, said there was no indication when a second arrest warrant for Yoon would be executed, but he said next week could be crucial for the political crisis as Yoon’s first impeachment hearing is held. on tuesday.

“It is not clear whether he will appear before the Constitutional Court; he suggested he might not because of some unresolved legal issues,” Fox said. “And if he doesn’t appear in court, it’s going to complicate the whole process.”

Fok said the mood of Saturday’s protests remained festive and peaceful.

“These could be some of the biggest protests we’ve seen since this political saga, with some reports putting up to half a million people on the streets of Seoul,” he said.

“If you come here, you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for some kind of K-pop concert. These rallies are loud, colorful and strictly organized. It’s easy to see why so many people want to participate.”

Anti-Yoon protester and student Kim Min-ji, 25, told the AFP news agency that the police and the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) had not acted decisively.

“Despite our efforts, (Yun) continues to evade responsibility,” Kim said. “Until he is removed from office, it is very important for us to raise our voices.”

Su Yo-hahn, 71, a Yoon supporter, said the martial law declaration, which the current president claims is to root out anti-state forces, has “good reasons”.

“He is elected by the people and represents our country. Saving Yoo is the way to save our nation,” Su said.

Brandon Kang, a 28-year-old Yoon supporter, told AFP that he likes the president because he “looks a lot like US President-elect Donald Trump.”