Defiant S. Korean President Yoon vows to fight arrest ‘until the end’

A demonstration supporting President Yoon Suk Yeol and opposing his impeachment is being held in front of the Hanjangjin Station, adjacent to the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

Embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday evening told his supporters that he would “fight alongside you until the end to protect this country,” in an apparent defiance to the investigators’ pledge to take him in custody earlier in the day.

“I thank you all for gathering in such large numbers to protect the free democracy and Constitutional order of this country. … I’m watching your efforts through live broadcast on YouTube,” Yoon said in a written message delivered to his supporters holding a rally supporting him near the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul.

“Korea is under threat from instigation of anti-state forces and the forces in and out of the country trying to deprive it of its sovereignty,”

READ: S. Korea court issues arrest warrant for impeached president Yoon

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, heading the investigation on insurrection and power abuse charges against Yoon, vowed Wednesday morning to arrest Yoon before the court-issued warrant expires after next Monday. It also urged the Presidential Security Service not to interfere with the arrest in any way.

The president’s comment sparked furor from the opposition, who accused him of pushing his supporters to clash with the authorities.

“Yoon’s message clearly shows that he is still delusional and is seeking insurrection,” said Rep. Jo Seung-lae, the spokesperson of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea.

Rep. Lee Jun-seok of the centrist Reform Party said it is “unconceivable” that Yoon is still viewing the world via YouTube, poking at allegations that the president that he is an avid believer of far-right YouTube channels and their ungrounded claims of the recent parliamentary elections being rigged.

READ: Will it be possible to arrest South Korean president Yoon?

An arrest warrant for Yoon was issued on Dec. 31, after the president snubbed the summon orders from the CIO for the third time. The agency is currently deliberating with the police on when and how to make the arrest, as no sitting president has ever been arrested in history.

A president has immunity from being prosecuted for most crimes, but insurrection is an exception. Yoon is accused of insurrection regarding his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law and his related orders, which include instructions to arrest lawmakers, that had been uncovered in the prosecution’s recent investigation.

Prosecutors said that he ordered Capital Defense Commander Lee Jin-woo to “break down the door (of the National Assembly) and drag them (lawmakers) out,” ordering him to “shoot if you have to.”

With the CIO chief Oh Dong-woon pledging a swift arrest, investigators are expected to move as early as today. The presidential security team has no legal grounds to stop the arrest, although it has already stopped investigators from searches related to Yoon’s charges.

If Yoon is arrested, the investigators have 48 hours to request a warrant for his detainment or release him.

In addition to the ongoing criminal investigation, the president is also undergoing an impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court, accused of insurrection and power abuse.