Top aide of impeached South Korean president pleads for investigators to halt detention efforts

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The top aide of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pleaded with law enforcement agencies on Tuesday to abandon their efforts to detain him over his imposition of martial law last month, as authorities prepared a second attempt to take him into custody.

Presidential Chief of Staff Chung Jin-suk said Yoon could instead be questioned at a “third site” or at his residence and said the anti-corruption agency and police were trying to drag him out like he was a member of a “South American drug cartel.”

However, Yoon Kab-keun, one of the president’s lawyers, said Chung issued the message without consulting them and that the legal team has no immediate plan to make the president available for questioning by investigators.

Yoon Suk Yeol has not left his official residence in Seoul for weeks, and the presidential security service prevented dozens of investigators from detaining him after a nearly six-hour standoff on Jan. 3.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials and police pledged more forceful measures to detain Yoon while they jointly investigate whether his brief martial law declaration on Dec. 3 amounted to an attempted rebellion.

The National Police Agency has convened multiple meetings of field commanders in Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi province in recent days to plan their detainment efforts, and the size of those forces fueled speculation that more than a thousand officers could be deployed in a possible multiday operation. The agency and police have openly warned that presidential bodyguards obstructing the execution of the warrant could be arrested.

The anti-corruption agency and police haven’t confirmed when they might return to the presidential residence, which has been fortified with barbed wire and rows of vehicles blocking entry paths. But Chung said he understood “D-day” to be Wednesday, without specifying the information he had.

Anti-corruption agency and police officials met with representatives of the presidential security service on Tuesday morning for unspecified discussions regarding efforts to execute the detention warrant for Yoon, the agency said. It wasn’t immediately clear whether any kind of compromise was reached.

Yoon declared martial law and deployed troops around the National Assembly on Dec. 3. It lasted only hours before lawmakers managed to get through the blockade and voted to lift the measure.

His presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14, accusing him of rebellion. His fate now rests with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberating on whether to formally remove Yoon from office or reject the charges and reinstate him.

The Constitutional Court held its first formal hearing in the case on Tuesday. The session lasted less than five minutes because Yoon refused to attend, choosing to remain at his official residence while the detention warrant for him is active. The next hearing is set for Thursday, and the court will then proceed with the trial whether or not Yoon attends.

The country’s acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, raised concerns on Monday about potential clashes between authorities and the presidential security service, which, despite a court warrant for Yoon’s detention, has insisted it’s obligated to protect the impeached president.

The anti-corruption agency and police have “completed preparations for a siege,” Chung said.

“They are ready to tear down the walls at any moment and handcuff President Yoon Suk Yeol, who remains isolated in his residence in Hannam-dong, and forcibly remove him,” he added, accusing investigators of trying to humiliate the president.

“Thousands of citizens are staying up through the night in front of the presidential residence, vowing to protect the president. If a conflict were to break out between the police and citizens, an unimaginable tragedy could occur.”

Over the past two weeks, thousands of anti-Yoon and pro-Yoon protesters have gathered daily in competing rallies near Yoon’s office in Seoul, anticipating another detention attempt. Yoon’s lawyers have claimed that images of him being dragged out in handcuffs could trigger a huge backlash from his supporters and spark a “civil war” in a country deeply divided over ideological and generational lines.

In preventing Yoon’s detention on Jan, 3, presidential bodyguards were assisted by troops assigned to guard the presidential residence under the command of the presidential security service. However, Defense Ministry spokesperson Lee Kyung-ho stated on Tuesday that the troops will no longer participate in efforts to block the execution of Yoon’s detention warrant and will focus solely on guarding the compound’s perimeter.

South Korea's Constitutional Court's judges, from left, Chung Kye-sun, Kim Bok-hyeong, Jung Jung-mi, Lee Mi-son, acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae, Kim Hyung-du, Cheong Hyung-sik and Cho Han-chang sit for the first formal hearing of a trial on the validity of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment by the National Assembly at the constitutional court of Korea in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (Kim Min-Hee/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's Constitutional Court's judges, from left, Jung Jung-mi, Lee Mi-son, acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae, Kim Hyung-du and Cheong Hyung-sik sit for the first formal hearing of a trial on the validity of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment by the National Assembly at the constitutional court of Korea in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (Kim Min-Hee/Pool Photo via AP)

Judge Moon Hyung-bae, acting chief justice of South Korea's Constitutional Court, sits for the first formal hearing of a trial on the validity of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment by the National Assembly at the constitutional court of Korea in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (Kim Min-Hee/Pool Photo via AP)

A pedestrian passes by the wreaths sent by supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol outside of the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korean police officers stand in front of the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs during a rally to oppose his impeachment outside the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shout slogans during a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A supporter of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attends a rally to oppose his impeachment near the presidential residence in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shout slogans during a rally to oppose his impeachment near the presidential residence in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Protesters stage a rally demanding the arrest of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol near the presidential residence in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. The letters read "Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shout slogans during a rally to oppose his impeachment near the presidential residence in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attend a rally to oppose his impeachment near the presidential residence in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)