The confrontation began long before dawn. By the time we arrived in the dark, an army of police had pushed back angry supporters of ousted President Yoon Suk-yeol, who had set up camp for the night in hopes of stopping his arrest. Some of those I spoke to wept, others screamed at what they feared was about to unfold.
When it dawned, the first officers ran up to the house, but they were immediately thwarted by a wall of soldiers defending the complex. Reinforcements arrived, but they could not help. The door to Yoon’s house remained tightly closed, his security team kept the police out.
The investigators waited for several hours, the crowd outside grew increasingly restless – until, after a series of scuffles between the police and security forces, they decided their mission was futile and gave up.
This is completely uncharted territory for South Korea. This is the first time a sitting president has faced arrest, so there’s no rule book to follow, but the current situation is strange nonetheless.
When Yoon was impeached three weeks ago, he was allegedly stripped of power. So the fact that law enforcement officers attempt to make an arrest — for which they have a legal warrant — only to be blocked by Yuna’s security forces raises serious and uncomfortable questions about who’s in charge.
Investigators said they declined to arrest Yoon not only because it seemed impossible, but also because they were concerned for their own safety. They said 200 soldiers and security officers joined hands to form a human wall to block the entrance to the presidential residence, some with weapons.
