South Korea’s political crisis took a dramatic turn on Friday when investigators were forced to abandon an attempt to arrest the impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, over his attempt last month to impose martial law after a tense standoff with his security forces.
The confrontation unfolded on a freezing winter’s day in Seoul, as an estimated 1,200 Yoon supporters gathered outside Yoon’s official residence while as many as 150 police and other officials attempted to execute an arrest warrant – the first for a sitting South Korean president over allegations his martial law declaration in December amounted to an insurrection.
