Yoon, the ousted leader of South Korea, hides in the “Beverly Hills” of Seoul

As investigators prepared to arrest him, impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol remained holed up in his expansive hillside mansion on Tuesday with his wife, dogs, and cats, surrounded by walls of barbed wire and a tiny army of personal protection.

Yoon has been hiding out in his official mansion in Hannam-dong, a posh neighborhood known as Korea’s Beverly Hills that is frequented by celebrities and business tycoons, ever since parliament voted last month to impeach and suspend him over his brief martial law order on December 3.

In the meanwhile, detectives have had difficulty executing an arrest warrant for him in order to interview him about claims of rebellion.

The director of the investigating team, who was last week barred from entering his home by a human chain of hundreds of military and presidential security agency officers, stated on Tuesday that they were still committed to bringing him in.

Since his impeachment, not much is known about Yoon’s activities as he has been living at the mansion with First Lady Kim Keon Hee, his six dogs, and five cats. Additionally, he has taken strong steps to protect his privacy.

His government filed legal charges last week against three media networks and a YouTuber for unlawfully shooting the area classified as a sensitive military facility. The YouTuber posted a popular video that purported to show the First Lady walking a white puppy.

In addition, security guards have strung up barbed wire and blocked the road with busses on the way to his house.

Lawyer Seok Dong-hyeon, a close friend of Yoon who frequently speaks with the president, claimed that Yoon “has been effectively confined to his residence.” Speaking on condition of anonymity owing to political sensitivity, another person with knowledge of the matter claimed that Yoon is “getting by just fine” despite having few visitors outside of his attorneys.

He celebrated his 64th birthday in private at home a few days after being impeached. According to news outlet Yonhap, his admirers brought over 2,000 notes to his office and gave flowers to his home. According to his office, the report could not be verified.

Once a hub of activity, the structure underwent major renovations when Yoon made the unprecedented move to move into what had been the foreign minister’s apartment after he assumed office in 2022.

Yoon and his wife have held a fancy supper under a sparkling chandelier for international leaders, such as Japan’s then-prime minister Fumio Kishida and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

According to an accusation against his then-defense minister and army commanders, the conservative politician, who prides himself on being a skilled chef and gourmet, discussed the president’s emergency powers over a dinner he prepared for them in October.

Regarding the accusations in the indictment, Yoon’s administration chose not to comment.

NEIGHBORS WITH A HIGH PROFILE

Constructed in the late 1960s, the house overlooks the Han River that flows through Seoul.

The neighborhood is home to ministerial and ambassadorial mansions, upscale stores, and the Lee and Chung families of the Samsung and Hyundai companies, in addition to a number of K-pop celebrities, including members of BTS.

After taking office, Yoon broke with decades of tradition by moving his home away from the Blue House executive mansion. This decision caused controversy due to the cost of the renovations and whether Yoon was influenced by shamans or masters of feng shui, a Chinese geomancy, in making the move.

According to local media accounts, the complex consists of two buildings that house many banquet halls, conference rooms, a reception venue, a lounge, and a well-kept lawn. It covers 14,710 square meters (17,600 square yards), or roughly two soccer fields.

Yoon’s administration refuted claims that opulent amenities, including a golf simulator, were installed inside, and his chief of staff likewise referred to the location as “humble” while facing opposition MPs.