The impeached president of South Korea is facing imminent arrest but has declared he will not go willingly.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials received approval from a Seoul high court Tuesday to arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol after weeks of investigation into his ill-fated martial law declaration last month.
Yoon promised to “fight to the end” against those who are seeking his arrest, characterizing them as “anti-state forces.”
Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the president’s residence this week in a show of solidarity, chanting slogans such as “Nullify the impeachment!” and “We will protect President Yoon Suk Yeol!”
Many carried signs that said “Stop the Steal” — a phrase primarily associated with President-elect Donald Trump’s claims about the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Others carried pairs of South Korean and American flags.
“I am watching on YouTube live all the hard work you are doing,” Yoon told the crowd in a statement from his lawyers. “I will fight until the end to protect this country together with you.”
A statement published by his legal team even said authorities seeking to arrest the president would risk being arrested themselves, whether by presidential security personnel or by his civilian supporters.
Yoon’s legal team previously questioned whether the impeached president is even eligible for prosecution.
“An incumbent president cannot be prosecuted for abuse of power,” said the president’s lawyer. “Of course, there are differing academic opinions on whether a president can be investigated for abuse of power, and some assert that investigations are possible. But even when investigations are allowed, the prevailing opinion is that they should be exercised with the utmost restraint.”
Yoon declared martial law on Dec. 4, saying it was necessary to combat North Korean influence in the opposition party and wrangle malicious political actors “paralyzing the functions of the state.”
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He rolled that decree back just hours after implementation following an emergency meeting in which the Parliament voted to end the emergency. After days of public outrage, the National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon on Dec. 14.
His replacement, Prime Minister and acting President Han Duck-soo, was swiftly impeached less than two weeks later.
