A stand-off between rival government forces outside the presidential compound in South Korea has been startling even for those used to the country’s famously rough and tumble politics.
Advertisement
For weeks, the impeached president, Yoon Suk-yeol, has remained inside and refused to respond to detention and search warrants. Scuffles broke out late last week as dozens of investigators were stopped from entering the compound by hundreds of presidential security guards and a barricade.
The spectacle followed Yoon’s astonishing decision last month to impose martial law during a seemingly routine impasse with the opposition, which dominates parliament.
Here’s a closer view of recent events as well as South Korea’s tempestuous political history, which has seen presidents toppled, arrested, jailed and shamed as millions have taken to the streets in protest.
What’s the latest?
Police and a government agency dedicated to fighting corruption are debating more forceful measures to detain Yoon. Dozens of investigators from the agency and police failed last week to bring Yoon into custody following a stand-off with his security service.