President Yoon Arrested... "Illegal Warrant Crime" vs "Rapid Arrest for Suppressing Rebellion"

CIO and Police Execute Arrest Warrant for President Yoon
People Power Party Lawmakers Gather at Hannam-dong Residence
Democratic Party Monitors Situation... Vows to Push for Special Treason Investigation

As the second arrest warrant execution for President Yoon Suk-yeol was carried out on the 15th, both ruling and opposition parties moved urgently from the morning. Some members of the People Power Party headed to the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, while opposition parties such as the Democratic Party held emergency party meetings to respond to the situation.

According to political sources on the 15th, about 30 members of the People Power Party gathered in front of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, to block the execution of the arrest warrant by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the police against President Yoon. They formed a "human chain" to prevent the investigation authorities from entering but were forcibly dispersed by the police. They strongly protested, shouting "The arrest warrant is illegal" and "Rule of law is regressing."

Present at the scene were lawmakers including Kim Ki-hyun, Yoon Sang-hyun, Kang Myung-gu, Kim Wi-sang, Cho Bae-sook, Jang Dong-hyuk, Park Soo-young, Lee Cheol-gyu, Kang Myung-gu, Park Dae-chul, Lee Sang-hwi, Jo Ji-yeon, Sung Il-jong, Lee Man-hee, Jeong Hee-yong, Kim Jeong-jae, Lee In-seon, Kim Seok-ki, Kang Seung-gyu, Kwon Young-jin, Koo Ja-geun, Yoo Sang-beom, Na Kyung-won, Han Ki-ho, Jeong Jeom-sik, Lee Jong-wook, Jeong Dong-man, Kim Seon-kyo, and Park Sung-min. They began gathering in front of the residence from 3:20 a.m., and by 8 a.m., about 30 had assembled.

After being forcibly dispersed by the police in front of the main gate, they issued an emergency statement pointing out the illegality of the arrest warrant. Lawmaker Kim Ki-hyun claimed, "From the beginning, the CIO, which has no jurisdiction over treason investigations, arbitrarily interpreted the CIO Act and used a trick by requesting a warrant from a court that does not have jurisdiction." Lawmaker Na Kyung-won also protested on-site, saying, "No matter how much it is a case of being caught in the act, the law must be alive. The president is only suspended from duty now, and forcibly exercising physical power illegally is a regression of the rule of law in the Republic of Korea."

The People Power Party also claimed that some ruling party lawmakers were assaulted during the execution of the arrest warrant by the CIO and police. At the request of President Yoon’s side, as of 9:30 a.m., some People Power Party lawmakers including Park, Yoon Sang-hyun, Kwon Young-jin, and Lee Sang-hwi reportedly entered the residence.

Police forces have gathered in front of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 15th as the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (HCIA) and the police moved to execute the second arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

On the other hand, opposition parties such as the Democratic Party convened an emergency party meeting at 6 a.m. to respond to the execution of the arrest warrant for President Yoon, urging a swift arrest to end the treason incident. Park Chan-dae, the Democratic Party floor leader, emphasized to reporters immediately after the emergency meeting, "A swift arrest is the shortcut to suppressing the treason, restoring national dignity, and normalizing the state."

The Democratic Party also prepared for the possibility of unforeseen incidents during the execution of the arrest warrant by the CIO and police. This is because the opposition’s proposed Treason Special Investigation Act, scheduled for plenary session approval on the 16th, could become a variable.

The Democratic Party also criticized Choi Sang-mok, acting Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance. Floor leader Park said, "Acting Prime Minister Choi repeatedly issued orders that evade constitutional and legal obligations and obstruct legitimate law enforcement."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party postponed the scheduled Supreme Council meeting and the second round of discussions on the supplementary budget for people’s livelihood, focusing instead on responding after President Yoon’s arrest.

Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on the 14th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min