South Korea: Tensions rise as impeached President faces arrest

KATHMANDU: South Korea witnessed a tense and dramatic sequence of events as investigators sought to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol at his residence.

The arrest attempt follows accusations of imposing a brief martial law earlier this month, which led to a warrant being issued by a Seoul court.

At around 8 a.m. local time, an initial team of 20 police officers arrived at Yoon’s residence, but the number later swelled to 80 as the situation escalated. Yoon’s legal team has called the arrest warrant unlawful and vowed to challenge it in court.

Meanwhile, his security team has reportedly prevented authorities from detaining him.

The court issued the warrant after Yoon failed to comply with three prior summonses for questioning related to allegations of treason and other charges.

On Dec 3, Yoon allegedly attempted to impose martial law, prompting lawmakers to pass an impeachment motion against him on Dec 14.

Yoon remains suspended from his duties pending a ruling by South Korea’s Constitutional Court. For the impeachment to result in his permanent removal, at least six of the nine judges must uphold the decision.

Currently, however, the court has only six active judges, meaning a single dissenting vote could block the impeachment.

Opposition leaders are hopeful that the appointment of three additional judges will secure the votes needed to finalize Yoon’s removal.

For now, the nation awaits a resolution to the unfolding political crisis.