South Korean military unit prevents police from detaining ousted president – Yonhap
Authorities have initiated actions to carry out an arrest warrant for South Korea's impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A Seoul court has issued a warrant for the detention of Yoon Suk Yeol on insurrection charges.
According to Yonhap News Agency, officers from South Korea’s Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials attempted to execute the arrest warrant for the impeached president early Friday, but were obstructed by military personnel from the Presidential Security Service.
This situation occurred at Yoon's residence, where a military unit, believed to be part of the 55th Security Brigade, was reportedly dispatched to prevent the execution of the warrant, heightening tensions surrounding this unprecedented action against a sitting president, as noted by Yonhap.
Supporters of Yoon gathered in large numbers near his home, further complicating the arrest efforts. Reports indicated that around 30 protesters clashed with police and were forcibly removed after breaching a police barrier on Thursday.
The warrant was issued by a Seoul court on Tuesday, charging Yoon with masterminding the December 3 martial law declaration, orchestrating an insurrection, and abusing power. The CIO received the warrant after Yoon did not respond to three summons for questioning regarding these allegations.
The CIO stated to the press outside Yoon's residence earlier on Friday, “We have begun executing a detention warrant for President Yoon,” when they attempted to arrest the impeached leader again.
Yoon has expressed his determination to his supporters, vowing to “fight to the end to protect this country” earlier this week.
Yoon's attorney claimed that if police tried to enforce the arrest warrant on behalf of the CIO, the PSS would have the authority to detain them for abuse of power and obstruction. His legal team has filed for an injunction against the warrant, deeming it “illegal,” according to the newspaper.
Police warned that should the PSS or Yoon’s supporters hinder CIO officials from executing the arrest, they would face detention on obstruction charges.
While Yoon enjoys presidential immunity, this does not apply to charges of insurrection or treason. He declared martial law on December 3, dispatching troops into the South Korean Parliament. Videos from that night depicted masked, armed, and armored soldiers confronting lawmakers who resisted them with fire extinguishers, as parliament prepared to vote on a measure aimed at legally countering the president's orders.
In a swift response, South Korean lawmakers overturned the martial law by parliamentary vote within six hours of its declaration. Subsequently, Yoon was suspended from his duties following an impeachment vote on December 14.
In related news, last week, interim President Han Duck-soo, who took office after Yoon's suspension, was also impeached for not appointing justices to the Constitutional Court—an appointment necessary to finalize Yoon's impeachment process. Following this, South Korean Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok stepped in as the country's interim president last Friday.
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
According to Yonhap News Agency, officers from South Korea’s Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials attempted to execute the arrest warrant for the impeached president early Friday, but were obstructed by military personnel from the Presidential Security Service.
This situation occurred at Yoon's residence, where a military unit, believed to be part of the 55th Security Brigade, was reportedly dispatched to prevent the execution of the warrant, heightening tensions surrounding this unprecedented action against a sitting president, as noted by Yonhap.
Supporters of Yoon gathered in large numbers near his home, further complicating the arrest efforts. Reports indicated that around 30 protesters clashed with police and were forcibly removed after breaching a police barrier on Thursday.
The warrant was issued by a Seoul court on Tuesday, charging Yoon with masterminding the December 3 martial law declaration, orchestrating an insurrection, and abusing power. The CIO received the warrant after Yoon did not respond to three summons for questioning regarding these allegations.
The CIO stated to the press outside Yoon's residence earlier on Friday, “We have begun executing a detention warrant for President Yoon,” when they attempted to arrest the impeached leader again.
Yoon has expressed his determination to his supporters, vowing to “fight to the end to protect this country” earlier this week.
Yoon's attorney claimed that if police tried to enforce the arrest warrant on behalf of the CIO, the PSS would have the authority to detain them for abuse of power and obstruction. His legal team has filed for an injunction against the warrant, deeming it “illegal,” according to the newspaper.
Police warned that should the PSS or Yoon’s supporters hinder CIO officials from executing the arrest, they would face detention on obstruction charges.
While Yoon enjoys presidential immunity, this does not apply to charges of insurrection or treason. He declared martial law on December 3, dispatching troops into the South Korean Parliament. Videos from that night depicted masked, armed, and armored soldiers confronting lawmakers who resisted them with fire extinguishers, as parliament prepared to vote on a measure aimed at legally countering the president's orders.
In a swift response, South Korean lawmakers overturned the martial law by parliamentary vote within six hours of its declaration. Subsequently, Yoon was suspended from his duties following an impeachment vote on December 14.
In related news, last week, interim President Han Duck-soo, who took office after Yoon's suspension, was also impeached for not appointing justices to the Constitutional Court—an appointment necessary to finalize Yoon's impeachment process. Following this, South Korean Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok stepped in as the country's interim president last Friday.
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
