Political rhetoric reaches extreme over 2nd attempt to arrest Yoon Suk Yeol

Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's die-hard supporters threaten 'civil war' With investigators and police preparing to make a second attempt to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on a court-ordered warrant, South Korean politics is descending further into chaos, with Yoon sympathizers now invoking the term “civil war” to warn against a violent clash. Rep. Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of Yoon’s ruling People Power Party, on Friday warned the nation’s police against mobilizing forces to ta

Jan. 10, 2025

Yoon Suk Yeol's chief bodyguard resigns

President Yoon Suk Yeol's chief bodyguard, Park Jong-joon, submitted his letter of resignation Friday before appearing at the police for questioning for allegedly obstructing officials from the joint investigation team from carrying out a court-ordered warrant to arrest suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol. Choi Sang-mok, acting president and deputy prime minister, has accepted Park's resignation, his office announced Friday. Just before the announcement, the Presidential Security Service said Frid

Jan. 10, 2025

Scrutiny intensifies in joint probe into Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law as CIO chief apologizes

The chief prosecutor of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, which is leading a joint probe into allegations against President Yoon Suk Yeol of leading an insurrection and committing abuse of power, apologized for the body's failure to detain Yoon but expressed his determination to make no mistakes in their second attempt. "I feel very sorry as CIO chief for failing to execute the detention warrant that was issued by the court based on reasonable grounds," Oh Dong-woon

Jan. 7, 2025

Confusion in joint probe ahead of 2nd attempt to detain Yoon Suk Yeol

CIO reverses decision, police vow to arrest bodyguards if they obstruct them Confusion persisted Monday within the joint investigative body probing President Yoon Suk Yeol's alleged insurrection and abuse of power, as the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials reversed its earlier decision to order police to detain the president. The abrupt reversal came seven hours after police resisted the directive, citing potential legal flaws. Concerns also emerged over the CIO, the lead

Jan. 6, 2025

Investigative body weighs options as deadline on Yoon Suk Yeol warrant looms

Law enforcement, Yoon's representatives accuse each other of obstructing public officials; Opposition claims presidential security gave orders to shoot if overpowered Faced with a literal roadblock in attempting to detain embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol on suspicion of insurrection, South Korea's joint investigative body of prosecutors weighed its options as the warrant neared expiration. A detention warrant for Yoon on allegations related to his Dec. 3 martial law declaration is set to expire

Jan. 5, 2025

Standoff continues for hours as investigative body attempts to take Yoon Suk Yeol into custody

The standoff between investigators and the Presidential Security Service persisted for hours on Friday, as officials attempted to access President Yoon Suk Yeol's official residential building to detain him on suspicion of insurrection. The investigators were also involved in a standoff with armed forces controlled by the Presidential Security Services, not the military, who were blocking their entry to the official residence. However, the investigators managed to reach the residence building, w

Jan. 3, 2025

Acting president orders immediate stop to abuse directed at grieving families

Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Thursday ordered law enforcement to take action on any cases of defamation targeting families and the victims of Sunday's catastrophic plane crash in Muan, South Jeolla Province. Choi ordered police to monitor defamatory remarks online and "take stern actions" against such activities at a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters in Seoul on Thursday. The failed landing of the Boeing 737-800 killed 179 of the passengers and crew Sund

Jan. 2, 2025

Political uncertainty to persist after Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law gamble

South Korea finds itself in uncharted waters: Yoon's trial, potential Cabinet collapse, snap presidential election and challenges to 1987 Constitution Political uncertainty looms over the new year, driven by President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration and his impeachment last year. The nation now waits on the Constitutional Court's decision, which could either reinstate Yoon or permanently remove him from office, triggering a snap presidential election just three years after the last one.

Jan. 1, 2025

Rival parties condemn acting president's selective approval of 2 justices for Yoon Suk Yeol impeachment trial

South Korea's rival parties on Tuesday expressed frustration over acting President Choi Sang-mok's selective approval of two out of three candidate justices to fill vacancies on the nine-member Constitutional Court that is set to deliberate President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial. This came as Choi, who assumed the role of acting president upon former acting President Han Duck-soo's impeachment Friday, expressed his intention to approve Jeong Gye-seon, who leads the Seoul Western District Co

Dec. 31, 2024

Acting president vetoes special counsel bills targeting Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Keon Hee

Acting President Choi Sang-mok vetoed special counsel bills targeting impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee, at a Cabinet meeting he presided over on Tuesday. Choi virtually reiterated former acting president Han Duck-soo's remarks, saying that bipartisan compromise is a prerequisite for his approval as these bills contain unconstitutional elements. Choi said during the Cabinet meeting at the Government Complex Seoul that both bills had deprived the ruling party of its righ

Dec. 31, 2024