Amid chaotic scenes, South Korea veered into uncharted legal and constitutional territory early Friday morning, as a group of investigators, backed by thousands of police, sought to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol.
No sitting South Korean president has ever been detained since the Republic of Korea was established in 1948.
Scuffles appeared to be underway inside the presidential residence between police and Presidential Security Personnel, confused and unclear reports from local media on the ground stated.
The Presidential Security Service – roughly equivalent to the U.S. Secret Service - have resisted previous attempts by police to enter presidential grounds to gather evidence.
Troops, possibly from the army’s Capital Defense Command, were also on site, apparently defending the residence against the investigators, who were backed by police.
Issues are being raised over who is in charge.
The president is the commander in chief of the armed forces, but Mr. Yoon has been impeached and his powers suspended. Acting President Choi Sang-mok, formerly Mr. Yoon’s finance minister, has made no apparent move.
Disgraced and disempowered, Mr. Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly vote on Dec. 14. His successor, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, was subsequently impeached for refusing to sign off on the appointment of three judges to fill the Constitutional Court’s bench.
Mr. Han’s successor, Mr. Choi this week agreed on two of those judges, meaning the court now has eight of its nine seats filled.
At least six judges must vote to uphold impeachment of a president