The city of Gwangju on Friday hung the flag of the US state of Virginia outside City Hall, in apparent defiance to President Yoon Suk Yeol and in support for his arrest on insurrection and power abuse charges.
The flag, which was apparently sent by the governor of Virginia, bears the Latin phrase "Sic semper tyrannis," which means ""thus always to tyrants," which is the state's motto. The state was among the 13 original British colonies in North America, and is where Patrick Henry famously said, "Give me liberty or give me death," during the Second Virginia Convention in 1775, amid the buildup to the American Revolutionary War.
"It’s the morning of tyrant Yoon Suk Yeol's arrest. And it is timely that the state flag sent by the Virginian governor and a letter of appreciation has arrived. The phrase on the flag holds a special meaning, 'Sic Semper Tyrannus'," Gwangju Mayor Kang Ki-jung wrote on his Facebook page.
"It is a fact across all regions and time that anyone who abuses one's power must arrive at one's own destruction."
Yoon is currently under criminal investigation for insurrection and power abuse concerning his orders following the Dec. 3 declaration of martial law. He is subject to an impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court for the same charges.
Officials of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials were engaged in a standoff with the Presidential Security Service at Yoon’s official residence in Seoul on Friday, as Yoon’s security team refused to comply with the court-issued warrant for his arrest. The CIO suspended the warrant execution at about 1:30 p.m., citing safety concerns and adding that the team would consider how to proceed after a review of the situation.
The court-issued arrest warrant is set to expire on Monday.
