South Korean Police raided the presidential office on Wednesday, according to Yonhap news agency.
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol is under criminal investigation on insurrection charges related to his brief imposition of martial law, though he has not been arrested or questioned by authorities.
“The Special Investigation Team has conducted a raid on the presidential office, the National Police Agency, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and the National Assembly Security Service,” the unit stated in a message sent to AFP.
South Korea’s top two police officers have been detained for questioning over their involvement in enforcing President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief martial law decree last week, police confirmed on Wednesday.
This comes ahead of a new motion for Yoon’s impeachment, which the Democratic Party plans to submit on Saturday. The previous attempt to impeach him failed when the ruling party boycotted the vote.
The opposition party intends to push the new motion for a vote despite growing uncertainty over Yoon’s presidency.
The controversy surrounding Yoon’s martial law declaration has caused political paralysis, disrupted foreign policy, and unsettled financial markets, raising questions about his ability to complete his term.
Following the failed impeachment attempt, the leader of Yoon’s conservative party promised a smooth transition, suggesting a sidelining of Yoon as the country moves toward early elections.
However, critics argue this plan is unconstitutional, citing the Constitution’s clear stipulation that impeachment is the only way to suspend presidential powers, with the president maintaining authority over the military. The Defense Ministry reaffirmed that Yoon is still in command of South Korea’s armed forces.
Police said National Police Agency Commissioner General Cho Ji Ho and Kim Bong-sik, head of the metropolitan police agency of the capital, Seoul, were being held at Seoul’s Namdaemun police station.
They have been investigated for their roles in deploying police forces to the National Assembly in an attempt to block lawmakers from entering the parliament to vote to lift Yoon’s martial law decree, which was abruptly announced on the night of Dec. 3.
