S Korea police raid president’s office over martial law attempt

Police in South Korea are in the process of raiding the presidential office in Seoul, following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s abortive attempt to impose martial law last week.

Police say while they have gained access to the civil service offices, however, they are unable to enter the main building of Yoon’s office, which is blocked by security guards, according to AFP.

The raids are the latest development in what has been a tumultuous week in South Korean politics.

President Yoon, who has stayed in office despite an impeachment vote and multiple calls for him to step down, is facing multiple investigations from various branches of government, on charges of insurrection and treason.

Meanwhile, the country’s ex-defence minister Kim Yong-hyun who took responsibility for the martial law declaration, attempted suicide while in detention on Tuesday night, an official said.

Kim is currently being kept in a guarding room and “has no current health issues”, the ministry told parliament.

He was arrested on Sunday.

Many officials close to Yoon have also resigned in the wake of the short-lived martial law declaration.

The country is now in a state of political flux.

Ruling party lawmakers banded to boycott a vote to impeach Yoon as president after he agreed to shorten his term and not get involved in foreign and domestic affairs.

However, the opposition Democratic Party, which commands a majority in the parliament have criticised the deal, with floor leader Park Chan-dae calling it “an illegal, unconstitutional second insurrection and a second coup”.

It’s unclear what, if any, authority Yoon now has, and protesters are still on the streets calling for him to stand down.

Eighteen investigators were sent to the presidential office on Wednesday to seize records related to a cabinet meeting held on the night of the martial law declaration, according to local media.

President Yoon, who was among the suspects listed on the search warrant, was not in his office when the raids commenced. Officers are now negotiating with his security team over how the search will be carried out.

Before he became president, Yoon had risen to prominence as a prosecutor who took down high-ranking officials. In 2016, he led a probe into former president Park Geun-hye, which ultimately resulted in her impeachment.

Past presidents’ security teams have denied investigators access to carry out such searches. Experts say Wednesday’s raid attempt shows, however, that authorities are ratcheting up the pressure on President Yoon and his allies.

“The raids mean that investigations are picking up pace, including for Yoon,” Mason Richey, an associate professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, told the BBC.

“Given what we think we know as of now, Yoon will likely be impeached sooner rather than later. Either before or after, he will probably also face arrest, questioning, and eventually charges for insurrection.”

Prof Richey added, however, that “the situation still remains fluid”.

The last time a president’s office was searched was December 2019 over a corruption accusation into the former vice mayor of Busan. The prosecution did not get inside the office grounds at the time but was handed the material by the office, as per protocol.

At the time, the country was led by former president Moon Jae-in, with Yoon only assuming the role in 2022.