Seoul, South Korea — South Korea is facing a political crisis as President Yoon Suk-yeol resists arrest following his impeachment over a failed martial law decree. The unprecedented standoff has plunged the nation into uncertainty just days before the arrest warrant is set to expire.
On Friday, in dramatic scenes at the presidential residence in Seoul, presidential guards and military troops shielded President Yoon from investigators attempting to execute the arrest warrant. Officials cited safety concerns and called off the arrest attempt after facing a force of around 200 personnel blocking their way.
“There was a standoff. While we estimated the personnel blocking us to be around 200, there could have been more,” said an official from the investigation team, speaking on condition of anonymity. “It was a dangerous situation.”
President Yoon faces criminal charges of insurrection, one of the few crimes not protected by presidential immunity. If the warrant is carried out, he would become the first sitting South Korean president ever to be arrested.
Since his impeachment by parliament last month, President Yoon has refused to cooperate with investigators, declining to appear for questioning on three separate occasions. The Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which is probing the failed martial law decree, has indicated that another arrest attempt may occur before the warrant expires on Monday.
The Constitutional Court has scheduled January 14 for the start of President Yoon’s impeachment trial. The proceedings will continue in his absence if he does not attend, following precedents set by former presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye, who did not appear for their impeachment trials.
President Yoon’s lawyers have condemned the arrest attempt as “unlawful and invalid,” vowing to take legal action. Meanwhile, the political turmoil has raised concerns about South Korea’s stability and its economic outlook.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance has cut its economic growth forecast for 2025, reducing GDP growth expectations from 2.2% to 1.8%. Analysts warn that the ongoing crisis could adversely affect key industries, particularly the country’s dominant semiconductor sector.
“An unstable political environment would prompt local businesses to reduce investment and retain cash for future uncertainties,” said Chen Jiahe, chief investment officer at Novem Arcae Technologies. “Global clients of South Korean chipmakers may look for alternative sources.”
As the nation waits to see how the situation unfolds, President Yoon remains defiant, telling supporters he will fight “to the very end” for his political survival.
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S. Korea in political crisis after impeached president resists arrest
cgtn.com
