THE police said yesterday that security guards were blocking a raid on President Yoon Suk-yeol’s offices to investigate his brief imposition of martial law.
Yoon is already barred from foreign travel as part of an “insurrection” probe into his inner circle over the dramatic events of Dec 3 and 4 that stunned South Korea’s allies.
Police said earlier that a Special Investigation Team “has conducted a raid” on the presidential office, on different police agencies and on the National Assembly Security Service.
But later a spokesperson said that investigators had “gained access to its civil services office. However, we are currently unable to enter the main building due to access restrictions imposed by the presidential security guards.”
The president’s office was not immediately available for comment yesterday.
Prison authorities, meanwhile, said that former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun tried to kill himself shortly before his formal arrest late Tuesday.
Kim, who is accused of suggesting to Yoon to impose martial law, was first detained on Sunday, and later formally arrested on charges of “engaging in critical duties during an insurrection” and “abuse of authority to obstruct the exercise of rights”.
He had said through his lawyers that his subordinates were “following my orders”.
The justice ministry and a prison official said he was in good health yesterday.
The former interior minister and the general in charge of the martial law operation are also barred from foreign travel. Two senior police officials were arrested early Wednesday.
Yoon survived an impeachment motion in parliament on Saturday even as tens of thousands of South Koreans braved freezing temperatures to demand his ouster.
Further smaller protests have continued every evening since, with polls showing record-low public support for Yoon.
A special task force within Yoon’s People Power Party (PPP) on Tuesday proposed a plan for the president to resign in February or March, followed by fresh elections in April or May.
But the proposal has not yet been adopted by the party as a whole.
Even if approved, the roadmap is unlikely to head off another opposition attempt to impeach Yoon on Saturday.
Jo Seung-lae, a lawmaker from the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), said that the new vote would take place around 5pm (0800 GMT).
The motion only needs eight members of Yoon’s PPP to secure the necessary two-thirds majority.
Last week, two PPP lawmakers – Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim Yea-ji – voted in favour, and since Tuesday three have said that they would support the motion this time.
The PPP has said that pending Yoon’s resignation, he has agreed to hand power to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and party chief Han Dong-hoon.
The opposition have said this contravenes the constitution, calling it a “second coup”.
Prime Minister Han yesterday said he had opposed the martial law declaration, apologising for being “ultimately unable to prevent it”. — AFP
