South Korea’s Yoon, facing unprecedented martial law arrest, vows to ‘fight to the end’ By Reuters
Written by Hyun Young Yi
SEOUL (Reuters) – Ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has sent a rallying cry to supporters saying he will “fight to the end” as he faces efforts by authorities to arrest him over his December 3 temporary martial law, a lawyer said on Thursday.
“I’m watching live on YouTube all the hard work you’re doing,” Yoon wrote in a letter late Wednesday 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 prosecution of Yoon on December 14, said the letter proved Yoon was delusional and was still determined to put an end to his “rebellion”.
“As if trying to treason wasn’t enough, now he’s inciting his followers to fight,” party spokesman Jo Seoung-lae said in a statement.
On Tuesday, a court approved an arrest warrant for Yoon, potentially making him the first sitting president to be arrested as part of an investigation into allegations that he is plotting a coup by trying to impose martial law.
Treason is one of the few crimes for which the South Korean president is immune.
The Chief Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which leads a joint investigative team that includes police and prosecutors, has been given until Jan. 6 to issue an arrest warrant.
It was unclear when and how the arrests would be made and whether the presidential security service, which has blocked investigators from entering Yoon’s office and official residence with search warrants, would try to stop the arrest attempt.
Separately, Yoon’s impeachment case is being heard in the Constitutional Court. The court will hold the second hearing of the case on Friday. Yoon has been suspended from the presidency and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok has taken over as acting president pending the outcome of the case.
If the court upholds impeachment and Yoon is removed from office, a new presidential election will be held within 60 days.
Yoon Kab-keun, a lawyer for the ousted president, said the arrest warrant was illegal and illegal because the CIO does not have the authority under South Korean law to request an arrest warrant.
The warrant for Yoon’s arrest and search of his office and residence was issued after the vigilante prosecutor objected to repeated subpoenas by investigators for him to appear for questioning in a criminal investigation without a Constitutional Court hearing.
The former defense minister who said officials recommended that Yoon declare martial law indicted on charges of treason and stand trial on Jan. 16. Some of the military officers in charge of defending the capital, Seoul, were also charged with their crimes. alleged involvement.
