Inspectors Urge South Korea's Acting President Not to Prevent Arrest of Yoon

On Saturday, January 5, South Korean inspectors once again urged the country's acting president to instruct the presidential security service not to prevent the arrest of Yoon Suk-yeol, the impeached president of South Korea. According to Reuters, security service forces, along with military personnel, prevented the arrest of Yoon Suk-yeol during a tense six-hour standoff on Friday, January 4. Inspectors intended to arrest Yoon due to his declaration of a short-term martial law in the country. The Office of Corruption Investigations for senior South Korean officials, which is examining this case, stated on Saturday that it has again requested Choi Sang-mook, the acting president, and the country's finance minister to instruct the presidential security service not to obstruct the execution of this arrest warrant. A spokesperson for the finance ministry declined to comment on the matter. According to Yonhap News, the police have asked the head of the South Korean presidential security service to appear on Tuesday to provide explanations. Yoon's declaration of martial law shocked South Korea and was met with widespread protests across the country. Meanwhile, supporters of the impeached president have stated that they will support him. The court has charged Yoon with 'rebellion and abuse of power' following the declaration of martial law. His arrest warrant was issued after he repeatedly refused to attend his interrogation sessions and denied access to his offices for inspection. So far, the defense minister, the police chief, and several senior military commanders of Yoon's government have also been arrested due to their roles in enforcing the martial law. Yoon's lawyers have rejected the legitimacy of this warrant, stating that the anti-corruption office does not have jurisdiction to address the charge of rebellion. Yoon's political fate now depends on the Constitutional Court, which must decide whether his impeachment was a legal action and formally remove him from the presidency or restore him to power.