South Korean impeached president's detention extended

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A tribunal successful Seoul has extended the clip South Korea's impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol volition beryllium detained implicit his botched effort to enforce martial instrumentality successful the state past month.

Citing concerns Yoon could destruct grounds if released, connected Sunday a justice issued a warrant allowing investigators to support the suspended president successful custody for up to 20 days.

The 64-year-old was arrested connected Wednesday aft a weeks-long standoff betwixt investigators and his statesmanlike information team.

Supporters of the president broke into the tribunal aft his detention was extended, reportedly smashing windows and doors successful an incidental condemned by Yoon and the country's acting president.

The warrant - and Yoon's consequent refusal to comply with investigators - is the latest improvement successful a saga that has near South Korea reeling from a governmental crisis.

The warrant was issued astatine astir 03:00 section clip (18:00 GMT connected Saturday).

The suspended president is being investigated by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) connected charges of insurrection implicit a failed martial instrumentality bid connected 3 December that plunged the state into turmoil.

He has been impeached by parliament and suspended - but volition lone beryllium removed from bureau if a law tribunal upholds the impeachment.

Investigators present person 20 days - including the 4 days Yoon has already spent successful custody pursuing his apprehension - to bring the president to trial.

After his detention was extended, Yoon's lawyer, Yun Gap-geun, told the Yonhap News Agency that the president would garbage to beryllium questioned by the CIO.

Pro-Yoon supporters rallied extracurricular the tribunal location successful the pb up to the decision, with galore entering the gathering aft judges issued the extension.

Journalists astatine the country reported seeing dozens of radical arrested by constabulary pursuing the incident.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok expressed his "strong regret" implicit the violence, "which is unimaginable successful a antiauthoritarian society", adding that authorities would summation information astir aboriginal appearances.

Choi lone precocious stepped into the apical occupation aft the South Korean parliament voted to impeach the erstwhile acting president, Han Duck-soo, implicit claims of frustrating Yoon's impeachment process.

Yoon was "shocked" by the scenes successful court, his lawyer said, and called connected his supporters to explicit themselves peacefully, according to section media.

The incidental is the latest occurrence successful a bid of attempts by Yoon's supporters to frustrate ineligible proceedings against the president.

The nighttime earlier his arrest, hundreds of pro-Yoon protesters camped extracurricular the president's location and jostled with the constabulary officers attempting to instrumentality him into custody.

Similar scenes occurred during an earlier apprehension effort connected January 3, wherever angry pro-Yoon supporters hoping to halt the apprehension rallied extracurricular the president's house.

South Korean constabulary were forced to telephone disconnected their archetypal apprehension attempt aft the president's information squad blocked introduction to Yoon's compound.

Public sentiment has been divided after Yoon's daze announcement of martial instrumentality past month, which helium claimed was owed to "anti-state forces" successful the South Korean parliament, portion mentioning North Korea.

But others person viewed the determination arsenic an utmost absorption to the governmental stalemate that arose aft his party's main absorption won a landslide successful April, arsenic good arsenic Yoon's unpopularity successful the aftermath of a ungraded surrounding the First Lady.

Thousands person taken to the streets to show against the suspended president successful the weeks since his ill-fated effort to enforce martial law.

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