South Korean investigators make second attempt to detain impeached president

South Korean authorities made a second attempt to detain suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol at his residence on Wednesday. The president, who declared martial law last month, has been in hiding at his sprawling hillside estate in Seoul. A team of 3,200 police officers were dispatched to the estate, where Yoon has been surrounded by his personal security detail.

Video footage showed officers closing in on Yoon’s residence, where hundreds of his supporters had gathered to protest on his behalf. A previous attempt to detain Yoon was called off on Jan. 3 after a six-hour standoff between military guards and the president’s security staff.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok emphasized the need to prevent physical conflict between state agencies during the operation. The arrest warrant for Yoon has proven difficult to execute due to legal constraints barring non-consensual searches of locations potentially linked to military secrets. Yoon’s legal counsel insists that the warrant is an illegal means of publicly humiliating him.

The arrest warrant against Yoon is the first ever to be issued against a sitting South Korean president. It stems from his controversial declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, which was a response to the opposition-dominated parliament’s refusal to pass key items on his political agenda. The move was met with criticism both domestically and internationally, with analysts expressing shock at the unprecedented action in South Korea’s typically stable democracy.

Parliament unanimously rejected Yoon’s declaration and suspended him on Dec. 14 in a 204-85 vote, including members of his own party. If the Constitutional Court upholds the motion with a three-fourths majority, Yoon will be formally impeached. The court’s next hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

The situation remains tense as authorities continue their efforts to detain Yoon. The outcome of this political crisis will have significant implications for the future of South Korea. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.

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