SEOUL, Jan 2, (V7N) – Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol continues to resist arrest for a third consecutive day, escalating a political crisis following his failed martial law declaration on December 3.

Yoon, who faces charges of insurrection that carry the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty, remains defiant despite an arrest warrant set to expire on January 6. In a statement distributed to supporters, Yoon accused "internal and external forces" of endangering South Korea's sovereignty, vowing to "fight to the very end."

Protests have erupted outside Yoon's presidential residence, with both supporters and opponents clashing, while his security team has blocked police raids.

Yoon's legal team has filed for an injunction to invalidate the arrest warrant, labeling it "unlawful and invalid." Meanwhile, Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) Chief Oh Dong-woon warned that anyone obstructing Yoon's arrest could face prosecution.

Yoon has refused three summonses for questioning and accuses opposition parties of collaborating with communist enemies. Opposition leaders condemned his rhetoric, with Democratic Party spokesperson Jo Seoung-lae calling him "delusional."

The Constitutional Court is set to decide on upholding Yoon's impeachment, which has plunged South Korea into political upheaval.

The crisis deepened when interim President Han Duck-soo was also impeached, leaving Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok as acting president. Choi faces immediate challenges, including managing the fallout from a Jeju Air crash that killed 179 people on Sunday.

As tensions escalate, South Korea remains on edge, with observers closely watching the constitutional court's ruling and the authorities' handlingof Yoon's standoff.

END/WD/RH/