Pro-Yoon and Anti-Yoon Protesters Clash as Arrest Deadline Looms

• Thousands of protesters brave snowstorm to rally for or against President Yoon Suk Yeol as his arrest deadline approaches.
• Yoon faces criminal charges of insurrection after a failed martial law declaration
• He could become the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested.

Thousands of South Koreans braved a snowstorm Sunday to rally in support, opposition of President Yoon Suk Yeol, as the deadline for his arrest loomed.

Yoon, suspended after a failed martial law declaration, has plunged the nation into political turmoil. The protests intensified after an earlier attempt by investigators to arrest him ended in a tense standoff with his presidential security service.

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Yoon has been holed up in the presidential residence since the botched martial law bid last month, surrounded by hundreds of loyal security officers.

On Friday, a six-hour standoff between investigators and Yoon’s guards ended without the arrest being carried out, with security fears cited as the reason for calling it off.

Despite the bitter snow blanketing the capital, demonstrators camped outside the residence. One camp called for Yoon’s arrest, while the other demanded the invalidation of his impeachment.

Anti-Yoon protester Lee Jin-ah, 28, declared, “Snow is nothing for me. They can bring all the snow and we’ll still be here,” as she braved the cold overnight to join the protest.

On the other side, 70-year-old Park Young-chul expressed unwavering support for Yoon.

He said, “I went through war and minus 20 degrees in the snow to fight the Communists.” This snow is nothing. Our war is happening again.”

Yoon faces criminal charges of insurrection, a crime not protected by presidential immunity, which could lead to a prison sentence or even the death penalty. If the arrest warrant is executed, Yoon would become the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested.

FURTHER READING

• Attempt to Arrest Suspended South Korean President Fails After Six-Hour Standoff
• Impeached South Korean President Faces Arrest Warrant Over Martial Law Declaration
• Suspended South Korean President Accused of Ordering Military to Use Guns to Remove Lawmakers

 

 

The opposition Democratic Party has called for the dissolution of the security service protecting Yoon, while Yoon’s security chief vowed not to allow his arrest by Monday’s deadline.

As the situation grows more dire, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Seoul late Sunday, likely to engage in talks with South Korean officials regarding the crisis.

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