Yoon could be arrested before second impeachment vote

Prosecution says it has multiple testimonies of S. Korean leader's key role in martial law fiasco

- Wendy Teo

SEOUL - The walls are closing in on South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol as a second impeachment motion, set for a Dec 14 vote, gains growing support from lawmakers, including some from his own party.

But the President could be arrested even before that happens, observers say.

He is being investigated concurrently by three separate agencies for declaring martial law on Dec 3, which he was forced to repeal just hours later.

South Korean police raided Mr Yoon's office on Dec 11 to search for evidence related to the martial law decree and for minutes of a Cabinet meeting held shortly before his announcement.

They had earlier raided the office and residence of former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun, who had allegedly proposed the martial law plan to the President.

National police commissioner Cho Ji-ho and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Kim Bong-sik were also arrested early on Dec 11 on insurrection charges, local media reported.

The two were charged with mobilising police officers to block lawmakers' access to the National Assembly after martial law was declared on Dec 3.

Separately, the prosecution's office announced on Dec 11 that it has gathered multiple testimonies alleging that Mr Yoon had directed the entire martial law process from its announcement to the deployment of military forces, and it aims to bring him in for questioning by the end of this week.

While impeachment would remove him from office, the criminal charges of insurrection will see Mr Yoon face either the death penalty or indefinite imprisonment.

South Korean law precludes a sitting president from prosecution except on charges of treason and insurrection.

Mr Yoon is also facing allegations of using his powers to block lawmakers from entering the National Assembly to vote on a repeal, and also ordering the arrest of several key politicians, including his own ruling People Power Party's (PPP) chief Han Dong-hoon.