Seoul, Jan 5 (NationPress) Tens of thousands of individuals congregated near the Presidential residence on Sunday to either support or oppose the detention of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for a third consecutive day, as the deadline for investigators to execute a warrant for his formal detention approaches.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) is managing the inquiry into Yoon's brief imposition of martial law and has until the end of Monday to act on the warrant. They must choose whether to file a court request for Yoon's formal arrest or to release him.
On Sunday, demonstrators advocating for Yoon's detention held a rally near the Presidential residence for a third day and pledged to continue their demonstration for an additional day.
Approximately 400 meters away, close to Hangangjin subway station, supporters of Yoon also conducted a rally urging the dismissal of the motion to impeach him and his prompt reinstatement to office.
No violent incidents occurred, as police set up barriers and deployed buses to maintain separation between the two groups of demonstrators.
On Friday, the CIO attempted to execute the court warrant for Yoon's detention but faced resistance from the Presidential Security Service, leading to a standoff that lasted six hours before the CIO withdrew its officials due to safety concerns.
Investigators are reportedly planning another effort on Monday to implement the court warrants for detaining the impeached president and searching his residence.
The CIO is also contemplating the possibility of refiling the detention warrant to extend its validity or pursuing a new warrant for Yoon's formal arrest, according to reports from Yonhap news agency.
Yoon has resisted cooperating with the investigation, asserting that the CIO lacks legal authority to examine the case.
Earlier in the day, Yoon's legal representative announced intentions to file a complaint with the prosecution this week, seeking an inquiry into the head of South Korea's anti-corruption agency overseeing Yoon's martial law case and other law enforcement officials for attempting to execute a warrant for Yoon's detention.
