Protests in support of impeached and arrested South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol last month featured American flags, “Stop the Steal” signs, red MAGA-style hats, and crowds chanting Village People's hit song. We danced to “YMCA”.
South Korea is experiencing an unprecedented political crisis, and Yoon's arrest on Wednesday worsened the situation. Members of the CIO, which is in charge of Yun's case, claimed on Friday that their attempts to arrest Yun failed because the Presidential Security Service (PSS) blocked them from entering the presidential palace. did. It contains sensitive national security information, and military secrets could be leaked if they were to go in to arrest Yoon.
According to Korean newspapers, nearly 9,000 conservatives rallied in support of Yoon on Wednesday. Chosun Ilbo reportedcompared to the much smaller crowd of 850 people who gathered to oppose Mr. Yun's continued control of the country. The size of the crowd marks a major shift in the political direction of conservative movements surrounding the presidential crisis, as the public appeared to overwhelmingly support Yoon's impeachment in early December.
Yun, who has been serving as president since 2022, attempted to impose martial law in the country in an unexpected overnight address to the nation on December 3. The conservative president said the military government was necessary because the left-wing majority parliament was interfering with his policies, possibly at the behest of communist North Korea or other malign influences. .
In his speech, Yun stated, “I am declaring martial law to protect the Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces,'' adding, “Unscrupulous pro-North Korean anti-national forces who are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people. We will eradicate it immediately.” This is to protect the free constitutional order. ”
The martial law immediately drew condemnation and caused nationwide alarm. It lasted only a few hours before MPs forced their way through crowds of heavily armed soldiers to vote against it. Because political activity is illegal under martial law, soldiers were called in to prevent rallies to vote against martial law. Subsequent investigations suggest the soldiers limited their efforts to stop the lawmakers.
Immediately after martial law was declared, Yun's People Power Party (PPP) supported his impeachment. Yun apologized and the military confirmed that it would ignore subsequent calls for martial law from the commander-in-chief, and impeachment proceedings began. However, support for the left-wing Democratic Party's efforts has declined in the past month, as the left-wing Democratic Party has also chosen to impeach Yun's successor, interim president Han Do-soo, and Yun has been accused of riots and abuse of power. is facing criminal charges.
Yun's legal team denounced the criminal case against him as illegal and argued that the warrant issued for his arrest was not actionable. Still, Yun accepted the arrest Wednesday, saying there was a need to avoid “bloodshed.” Yoon became the first sitting president in South Korean history to be arrested.
The move to arrest Yun has spawned a large conservative movement defending him and calling for U.S. intervention to stop the Democratic Party, among others. Large American flags were common, and videos of the rally shared by activists online showed demonstrators holding illustrations of President-elect Donald Trump and signs that read “Stop the Steal.” referencethe election reportedly gave the Democratic Party a majority in the National Assembly, but some South Koreans believe this to be rigged. While Yoon himself has fueled these concerns with various comments suggesting North Korean interference, South Korean law enforcement and election officials have not shown They have found evidence of such fraud as of this writing.
Activists in South Korea have uploaded videos of rally participants singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” in defiance of anti-American communist forces who are organizing impeachment and arrest efforts.
At one rally on Jan. 6, crowds waved American flags and banners that read “I Am.” [heart] USA” was seen dancing to the Village People hit song “YMCA”, a staple of President-elect Trump's campaign rallies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uaTqGOXttA
On Wednesday, authorities deployed In the face of large crowds protesting his detention, 3,200 police officers were deployed to ensure his safe arrest. The arrests were largely peaceful, although some reports said there were minor physical interactions between demonstrators and police. At least one man attempted to self-immolate near the office where Mr. Yoon was interrogated after his arrest, but reports have suggested whether the man was a protester of Mr. Yoon's or just happened to be near the office. has not been confirmed. According to Korea News Agency, the man was in critical condition as of Wednesday. United.
The only public comment Yun has made since his arrest was in a pre-recorded video statement released after his arrest.
Yun told his supporters, “We are witnessing agencies that have no investigative authority issuing warrants, and courts that do not have the authority to review warrants issuing arrest warrants and search and seizure warrants. “I have seen people commit such acts by issuing false official documents in order to deceive,” he said. It is regrettable that they acted illegally and forced proceedings based on an invalid warrant. ”
However, he insisted he was willing to submit to arrest “to avoid unpleasant bloodshed”.
“As the president, who must protect the Constitution and legal system of the Republic of Korea, responding to such an illegal and invalid procedure does not amount to approval of this issue.” [their legality]Rather, it is a desire to prevent unpleasant bloodshed,” he explained.
Yun is asked a question He had just been arrested and reportedly did not answer any questions from investigators. His lawyers argued that his silence was not a “refusal to cooperate” but a denial of the CIO's jurisdiction.
“Because the CIO does not have jurisdiction over the insurrection charges, the president is under no obligation to respond. Instead, we will provide a written statement at the appropriate time,” the legal team said in a statement.
