South Koreans brave cold to rally for and against Yoon as detention deadline looms

Hundreds of South Koreans, bundled up against freezing temperatures and snow, rallied overnight into Sunday near the residence of impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol, calling for his ouster and arrest, as authorities prepared to renew their efforts to detain him over his short-lived martial law decree.

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Dozens of anti-corruption agency investigators and police attempted to carry out a detainment warrant against Yoon on Friday, but retreated from his residence in Seoul after a tense stand-off with the presidential security service that lasted more than five hours.

The one-week warrant for his detention is valid through Monday. There were no immediate indications that anti-corruption authorities were ready to send investigators back to the residence as of Sunday afternoon. Staff from the presidential security service were seen installing barbed wire near the gate and along the hills leading up to Yoon’s residence over the weekend, possibly in preparation for another detention attempt.

A Seoul court last Tuesday issued a warrant to detain Yoon and a separate warrant to search his residence after the embattled president repeatedly defied authorities by refusing to appear for questioning and obstructing searches of his office. But enforcing them is complicated as long as Yoon remains in his official residence.

Supporters of impeached South Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol react to Christian devotional songs played during a rally near his residence as snow falls in Seoul. Photo: AFP
Supporters of impeached South Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol react to Christian devotional songs played during a rally near his residence as snow falls in Seoul. Photo: AFP

Investigators from the country’s anti-corruption agency are weighing charges of rebellion after the conservative president, apparently frustrated that his policies were blocked by a legislature dominated by the liberal opposition, declared martial law on December 3 and dispatched troops to surround the National Assembly.

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