On January 15 KST, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) began the process of executing a second arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yoon Suk Yeol faces charges of declaring an unconstitutional and illegal emergency martial law on December 3, allegedly mobilizing military and police forces to incite rebellion to subvert the Constitution (charges of leading insurrection and abuse of power).
During the first attempt to execute the warrant on January 3, the CIO withdrew after a 5-hour and 20-minute standoff with the Presidential Security Service at the presidential residence, concluding that the warrant could not be carried out. Subsequently, on January 7, the CIO obtained a reissued arrest warrant for President Yoon.
At 7:00 AM on January 15 KST, a large arrest team from the CIO and the police arrived at the second barricade set up by the Presidential Security Service in front of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong. The Security Service has installed vehicle barriers at the second defense line inside the residence to prevent the execution of the arrest warrant for President Yoon.
By 7:33 AM KST, the arrest team was able to breach the first line of defense. Using ladders, they climbed over the vehicle barricades set up by the Security Service and entered the residence.
The arrest operation for President Yoon is still underway, with live updates being broadcast by various media outlets as the situation continues to unfold.
Meanwhile, People Power Party lawmakers, led by Representative Kim Gi Hyeon, declared that the arrest warrant issued for President Yoon by the Seoul Western District Court is illegal. They called for the immediate suspension of the arrest procedure, which they claim is based on an unlawful warrant.
During the protest, Kim Gi Hyeon and other lawmakers formed a "human chain" in front of the residence to block the warrant's execution. However, they were pushed back by police officers near the main gate. Following this, Kim Gi Hyeon delivered an emergency statement at the scene, denouncing the arrest warrant's illegality.
SHARE
