Two vehicles belonging to South Korea’s Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) arrived outside impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol’s residence early Wednesday to execute a new arrest warrant, according to Yonhap News TV.
The warrant follows Yoon’s brief declaration of martial law on December 3, which has plunged the nation into its worst political crisis in decades. Thousands of Yoon’s supporters gathered outside his residence to protect him, AFP reporters observed.
The December 3 power grab involved sending soldiers to storm parliament, shaking South Korea’s democracy and drawing comparisons to its past under military rule. Yoon now faces the possibility of arrest, imprisonment, or even the death penalty.
An initial attempt to arrest Yoon on January 3 ended in a standoff as his presidential guards refused to comply with investigators.
This time, a joint CIO and police team, backed by as many as 1,000 personnel, aims to detain Yoon. Authorities have warned they will also arrest any guards who obstruct their efforts.
If the arrest is successful, Yoon would become the first sitting president in South Korea’s history to be detained.