South Korea is facing a major political crisis as police and presidential security officials were locked in a tense standoff for five hours on Wednesday, April 16.
The police were trying to raid the presidential office in Seoul as part of an investigation against former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been impeached and is now facing criminal charges, reports said.
Police went to the presidential office at 10:13 a.m. with a warrant to search secure phone servers, the office of the Presidential Security Service (PSS), and the presidential residence. But even by 3 p.m., they were not allowed to enter because the PSS refused to cooperate.
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Acting PSS chief Kim Seong-hoon is accused of stopping police from arresting Yoon at his residence earlier this year. Last month, a court rejected arrest warrants for both Kim and Lee Kwang-woo, who is in charge of Yoon’s bodyguards. The police are also trying to access CCTV footage from the presidential office for their investigation.
Yoon is facing serious charges of insurrection for trying to impose martial law in December 2024. He defended himself in court on April 14, saying it was not an insurrection. His surprise move shocked the nation and caused deep political divisions.
Yoon, 64, was once a top prosecutor who helped jail former President Park Geun-hye for corruption. He rose quickly in politics and became President in 2022 as the candidate of the conservative People Power Party. However, his time in office was filled with clashes, especially with the opposition-controlled National Assembly. He used his veto power 25 times against laws passed by the opposition.
The situation got worse in December when the opposition tried to impeach top officials, and Yoon responded by declaring martial law on December 3. This led to his impeachment and removal from office, making him the second South Korean President to be formally ousted, after Park Geun-hye in 2017.
