South Korea authorities seek to arrest Yoon at suspended leader’s residence

Al Jazeera:

South Korean authorities have arrived at the residence of President Yoon Suk-yeol to arrest the impeached leader over his short-lived declaration of martial law.

Dozens of police and anticorruption investigators entered the gate of Yoon’s compound in Seoul early on Friday morning to execute a warrant for his arrest over his brief imposition of martial law on December 3, which plunged the East Asian nation into its deepest political crisis in decades.

“The execution of the arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol has begun,” the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials said in a statement.

It is unclear if Yoon, who is being investigated on suspicion of insurrection and abuse of power, will cooperate with authorities seeking to detain him.

If arrested, the conservative leader would be the first sitting president to be detained in South Korean history.

If found guilty of insurrection, he faces severe penalties, including life imprisonment and the death penalty.