In an unprecedented political crisis, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing potential arrest after being impeached for his imposition of martial law in December 2024. Yoon, who has described the move as necessary to maintain national stability, has vowed to resist efforts to detain him. The president, in a defiant letter to his supporters, accused “anti-state forces” of plotting against him and pledged to fight until the end.
The impeachment, spearheaded by the opposition-led National Assembly, came on December 14 after Yoon’s brief martial law declaration drew widespread criticism. A Seoul court recently approved an arrest warrant against him on charges of insurrection and abuse of power. If executed, Yoon would become the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested during an investigation, deepening the political turmoil.
Yoon has refused to comply with summonses from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO), with his legal team calling the arrest warrant unlawful. His supporters have staged protests outside his residence, clashing with police forces stationed to maintain order. The standoff has raised fears of an escalated confrontation between the presidential security service and law enforcement.
While Yoon awaits the outcome of his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is serving as acting president. Should the court uphold the impeachment, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days, further intensifying the nation’s political uncertainty.
The legal battle has also sparked debates about the CIO’s authority, with critics arguing that the arrest warrant overreaches its mandate. The agency has until January 6 to enforce the warrant, leaving the nation on edge over how the crisis will unfold. Meanwhile, protests across South Korea continue, underscoring the gravity of the political impasse gripping the country.
