By Hyun Young Yi
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol sent a letter rallying his supporters saying he would “fight to the end” as he faces an attempt by authorities to arrest him over his brief Dec. 3 martial law , one the lawyer said Thursday.
“I am watching all the hard work you are doing on YouTube live,” Yoon wrote in the letter late Wednesday to the hundreds of followers estimated to have gathered near his official residence to protest his investigation.
“I will fight to the end to protect this country together with you,” he said in the letter, a photo of which was sent to Reuters by Seok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer advising Yoon.
The opposition Democratic Party, which has majority control of parliament and led Yoon’s impeachment on Dec. 14, said the letter showed Yoon was delusional and remains committed to completing his “insurrection.”
“As if trying to organize an insurrection was not enough, he is now inciting his followers to extreme confrontation,” party spokesman Jo Seoung-lae said in a statement.
A court on Tuesday approved an arrest warrant for Yoon, potentially making him the first sitting president detained as part of investigations into allegations that he planned an insurrection while trying to impose martial law.
Insurrection is one of the few criminal charges against which a South Korean president has no immunity.
The Corruption Investigation Office for Senior Officials (CIO), which leads a joint team of investigators that includes police and prosecutors, has until January 6 to execute the arrest warrant.
It was unclear when and how the arrest will be made and whether the presidential security service, which has blocked investigators’ access with a search warrant to Yoon’s official office and residence, will try to stop the attempted arrest.
Furthermore, Yoon’s impeachment trial is taking place at the Constitutional Court. The court will hold the second hearing on Friday. Yoon has been suspended from his presidential duties and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok has taken over as acting president until the outcome of the trial.
If the court confirms the impeachment and Yoon is removed from office, new presidential elections will be held within 60 days.
Yoon Kab-keun, a lawyer for the accused president, said the arrest warrant was illegal and invalid because the CIO did not have the authority under South Korean law to request a warrant.
The warrant for Yoon’s arrest and also a search of his office and residence was issued after the conservative career prosecutor defied repeated subpoenas by investigators to appear for questioning in the criminal investigation separate from the Constitutional Court trial.
A former defense minister who officials say recommended Yoon declare martial law has been charged with insurrection and will go on trial on Jan. 16. Some of the top military officers commanding the defense of the capital, Seoul, have also been accused of their alleged involvement.