South Korea’s Yoon, facing unprecedented martial law arrest, vows to ‘fight to the end’ Reuters
By Hyun Young Yi
SEOUL (Reuters) – Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has sent a letter rallying his supporters saying he will “fight to the end” as he faces an attempt by authorities to arrest him over his short-lived state of emergency since Dec. 3, a lawyer said on Thursday. .
“I’m watching live on YouTube all the hard work you’re doing,” Yoon wrote in a letter Wednesday night to hundreds of supporters who gathered near his official residence to protest his investigation.
“I will fight to the end to protect this country together with you,” he said in the letter, a photo of which was sent to Reuters by Seok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer advising Yoon.
The opposition Democratic Party, which holds the majority in parliament and led the impeachment of Yoon on Dec. 14, said the letter proved Yoon was mistaken and remains committed to completing his “rebellion.”
“As if trying to start a rebellion was not enough, he is now inciting his supporters to extreme conflict,” party spokesman Jo Seoung-lae said in a statement.
A court on Tuesday approved a warrant for Yoon’s arrest, potentially making him the first sitting president to be detained as part of an investigation into allegations that he orchestrated a rebellion in an attempt to impose martial law.
Sedition is one of the few criminal charges from which the South Korean president is not immune.
The Corruption Perceptions Office (CIO), which leads a joint team of investigators that includes police and prosecutors, has until January 6 to execute the arrest warrant.
It was unclear when and how the arrest would be made, and whether the presidential security service, which blocked investigators with a search warrant from Yoon’s office and official residence, would try to prevent the arrest attempt.
Separately, Yoon’s impeachment trial is being heard at the Constitutional Court. The court will hold a second hearing on Friday. Yoon was suspended from presidential duties, and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok took over as acting president pending the outcome of the trial.
If the court upholds the impeachment and Yoon is removed from office, new presidential elections will be held within 60 days.
Yoon Kab-keun, a lawyer for the impeached president, said the arrest warrant was illegal and invalid because the CIO did not have the authority to request a warrant under South Korean law.
A warrant for Yoon’s arrest and a search of his office and residence was issued after the conservative career prosecutor ignored repeated calls from investigators to appear for questioning in a separate criminal investigation from the Constitutional Court trial.
The former defense minister, who officials said recommended Yoon declare martial law, was indicted on sedition charges and will go on trial on January 16. Some of the top military officers commanding the defense of the capital Seoul have also been indicted for their alleged involvement.
