By CHRIS MEGERIAN, LINDSAY WHITEHURST and MARK SHERMAN Associated Press
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts rejected calls for impeaching federal judges shortly after President Donald Trump demanded the removal of a judge who ruled against his deportation plans. "For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision," Roberts said in a rare statement. The flashpoint for the latest controversy was deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, which is being paid by the U.S. to imprison them.
South Korean investigators have left the president's official residence after a nearly six-hour standoff during which he defied their attempt to detain him. It's the latest confrontation in a political crisis that has paralyzed South Korean politics and seen two heads of state impeached in under a month. President Yoon Suk Yeol has resisted investigators' attempts to question him for weeks. The last time he is known to have left the residence was on Dec. 12 when he went to the nearby presidential office to make a televised statement to the nation. Yoon made a defiant statement that he will fight efforts to oust him.
Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has sent a message to conservative supporters rallying outside his Seoul residence, vowing to "fight to the end" against "anti-state forces." His legal team warned on Thursday that police officers attempting to detain him could face arrest by his presidential security service or even civilians. Yoon's statement came as the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials prepares to execute a detainment warrant against him that was issued by a Seoul court. The warrant was issued after Yoon evaded multiple requests to appear for questioning and blocked searches of his office, hindering an investigation into whether his short-lived power grab on Dec. 3 amounted to rebellion.
South Korea's opposition-controlled National Assembly has voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo. The assembly approved the impeachment motion in a 192-0 vote on Friday. Governing party lawmakers boycotted the vote. Han, who is also prime minister, had been acting leader after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the assembly over his short-lived imposition of martial law earlier this month. Han's impeachment further deepens South Korea's political crisis and damages its international image. In a statement, Han called his impeachment regrettable but said he respects the assembly's decision and will suspend his duties. The deputy prime minister and finance minister, Choi Sang-mok, took over.
