South Korea Police Raid Presidential Office Over Martial Law Attempt

Summary

•Police in South Korea are raiding the presidential office, following last week’s attempt by President Yoon Suk Yeol to impose martial law in the country

•The president and his allies are currently facing insurrection charges, and a travel ban has been slapped on several of them

•South Korea’s ex-defence minister who took responsibility for the declaration has attempted suicide in detention, a justice ministry official has told parliament

•President Yoon has apologised for the attempt but has not accepted growing calls for him to step down

•Last weekend, an attempt to impeach the president failed, after members of his own ruling party boycotted the vote – but opposition members are set to hold another impeachment vote this weekend and have vowed to hold one every Saturday until Yoon is gone

•North Korean media reported on the martial law declaration on Wednesday, calling it an “insane” attempt by a “fascist dictator”

The president’s security team was not told about the search beforehand, according to local media reports.

The last time a president’s office was searched was December 2019 over a corruption accusation into the former vice mayor of Busan. The prosecution did not get inside the office grounds at the time but was handed the material by the office, as per protocol.

At the time, the country was led by former president Moon Jae-in, with Yoon only assuming the role in 2022.

The magnitude of this raid will differ depending on whether the officers are going inside the presidential office or are simply being handed materials by the office.

The president is now being investigated from many directions – by police, prosecutors, and anti-corruption officials.

And yesterday, the opposition managed to secure an independent investigation into his failed attempt to impose martial law.

He has been accused of treason, a crime he doesn’t have immunity from as president, and investigators have said they will arrest him if sufficient evidence emerges.

The country is in political turmoil. It’s unclear what, if any, authority Yoon now has, and protesters are still on the streets calling for him to stand down.

Overnight, the former defence minister, Kim Yong-hyun, tried to take his life in custody. He’s accused of helping to lead the martial law effort, and is the highest-ranking official to have been arrested so far.

Investigators looking for meeting records from night of martial law

More details are emerging on today’s raids. According to news site Yonhap, 18 investigators were sent to the presidential office to seize records related to a cabinet meeting held on the night of the martial law declaration.

President Yoon, who was among the suspects listed on the search warrant, was not in his office during the raids.

As we mentioned earlier, investigators have also been sent to the National Police Agency, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and the National Assembly Police Guards to gather evidence on how events in the National Assembly unfolded last Tuesday night.

Who is leading South Korea now?

Since the chaos of last Tuesday, it is unclear how much power Yoon still holds.

The head of his party, Han Dong-hoon, has said that Yoon would no longer be involved in state affairs until his early exit from power is arranged – adding that Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would manage government affairs in the meantime.

Details of the ruling party’s early exit “roadmap” for Yoon are expected to come closer to Saturday.

However, according to the defence ministry, said Yoon still has command of the armed forces.That means in the event of any foreign policy incidents, including any possible threat from North Korea, Yoon is still, in theory, able to make executive decisions.

Yoon himself has only made one public appearance since his botched martial law attempt. In his public statement Saturday, he apologised for declaring martial law.

N Korea mocks Yoon’s ‘insane’ martial law attempt

North Korea publicly commented on Yoon’s failed attempt to impose martial law for the first time on Wednesday and accused the president of trying to run a “fascist dictatorship”.

An article on page six of the North’s state newspaper Rodong Sinmun on Wednesday said Yoon’s “insane act” was “akin to the coup d’etat of the decades-ago military dictatorship era”.

“He brazenly brandished blades and guns of fascist dictatorship at his own people,” the article said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is himself known for his unpredictability and provocative foreign policy style.

A chaotic week since a short-lived martial law attempt

It has been a chaotic week in South Korea since President Yoon’s short-lived martial law declaration late last Tuesday.

Calls have been growing for Yoon to step down. Protesters have been out on the streets and workers have gone on strike in Seoul calling for the president’s removal.

However, a vote on whether to impeach him last Saturday failed – all but three MPs from Yoon’s ruling People Power Party left the voting chamber ahead of it.

The opposition, which has a parliamentary majority, have said it will propose a new impeachment today, which will be put to a vote this Saturday.

Authorities have since placed travel bans on Yoon and other leaders, including former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun. Many have also stepped down from their posts.

Even before declaring martial law, Yoon had faced decreasing popularity. His approval ratings tumbled to a record low of 13%, according to a survey last Friday.

Investigation chief to seek Yoon’s arrest ‘if conditions are met’

The head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) has said that his office would seek Yoon’s arrest if conditions are met.

Earlier this morning, Oh Dong-woon also said during a parliamentary legislation committee meeting that his team is conducting a thorough investigation into the matter. When asked if he had the “will” to arrest Yoon, he answered that he had “plenty of will”.

Speaker of National Assembly kickstarts probe into Yoon

The speaker of the National Assembly and opposition politician Woon Woo-shik, has said he has invoked his authority to conduct a parliamentary probe into Yoon, reports Yonhap.

It is one of several investigations that have been launched by various branches of the government into Yoon’s imposition of martial law.

A parliamentary probe is needed so that they can obtain a testimony from Yoon that can be made public, said Woon, who added that a special committee will be formed to handle the investigation.

Ex-defence minister attempted suicide

Former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun attempted suicide while in detention, South Korea’s justice ministry said.

Kim tried to kill himself late last night and gave up when he was discovered. He is currently being kept in a guarding room and “has no current health issues”, the ministry told parliament.

Kim reportedly proposed the martial law declaration to the president. He resigned last Thursday, saying he took full responsibility for it.

Yoon not in office when raids happened:

As we mentioned earlier, apart from the presidential office, South Korean police have also raided the offices of Seoul Metropolitan Police and the National Assembly Police Guards.

Yoon was not in the presidential office during the raid, according to the Yonhap news agency.

Source:- BBC