South Koreans rally as arrest warrant for impeached president Yoon nears expiration News
Arlington National Cemetery, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
South Koreans rally as arrest warrant for impeached president Yoon nears expiration

Despite freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall, hundreds of South Koreans gathered overnight on Sunday near the residence of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol in Hannam-dong, Seoul, demanding his arrest and imprisonment.

The National Assembly impeached Yoon with 204 votes in favor, surpassing the two-thirds majority of 300 lawmakers, 11 days after Yoon declared martial law on December 3, 2024. The Seoul Western District Court approved an arrest warrant for Yoon on charges of insurrection and abuse of power. The court also approved a warrant to search Yoon’s official residence. The Criminal Division of the Seoul Western District Court on Sunday rejected Yoon’s objection to the execution of the arrest warrant and the search warrant of the presidential residence.

With the expiration of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s arrest warrant approaching, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) is reportedly giving consideration to retrying the execution of the arrest on January 6, the final day of the warrant’s validity. The CIO sent an official document to Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Saturday requesting him to order the Presidential Security Service to comply with the execution of the arrest warrant. 

The initial attempt at the execution of the warrant on the 3rd was unsuccessful. Although a second attempt was scheduled for the 5th, it was postponed by one day due to heavy snowfall and adverse weather conditions. According to local media, around 40 members of the People Power Party (PPP) are expected to gather in front of the residence of Yoon on January 6 to block CIO from executing the arrest warrant.

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