South Korean investigators in standoff to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol – Technologist

South Korean investigators entered the residence of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and began executing a warrant for his arrest Friday, January 3, over his failed martial law bid, the first time the country has ever sought to arrest a sitting leader.

“The execution of the arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol has begun,” said the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which is probing Yoon’s short-lived declaration of martial law, with its officials and police seen entering the president’s residence.

CIO investigators including senior prosecutor Lee Dae-hwan were let through heavy security barricades to enter the residence to attempt to execute their warrant to detain Yoon. But they were confronted by “security service” members after an earlier stand-off with a military unit.

Yoon’s legal team decried the attempt to execute the arrest warrant, vowing to take further legal action against the move. “The execution of a warrant that is illegal and invalid is indeed not lawful,” Yoon’s lawyer Yoon Kap-keun said.

Dozens of police buses and hundreds of uniformed police have been lining the street outside the compound in central Seoul. Some 2,700 police and 135 police buses have been deployed to the area to prevent clashes, Yonhap reported, after Yoon’s supporters faced off with anti-Yoon demonstrators Thursday.

Yoon has been holed up inside the residence since a court approved the warrant to detain him earlier this week, vowing to “fight” authorities seeking to question him over his failed martial law bid.

All-night prayers

South Korean media have reported that CIO officials want to arrest Yoon and take him to their office in Gwacheon near Seoul for questioning. After that, he can be held for up to 48 hours on the existing warrant. Investigators need to apply for another arrest warrant to keep him in custody.

After staging chaotic protests Thursday, a handful of Yoon’s die-hard supporters, which include far-right YouTube personalities and evangelical Christian preachers, had camped outside his compound all night – some holding all-night prayer sessions. “Illegal warrant is invalid” they chanted early Friday, as police and media gathered outside the residence. “Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon Suk Yeol,” they yelled, waving red glow sticks.

Yoon’s lawyer confirmed on Thursday that the impeached leader remained inside the presidential compound. Yoon’s legal team had already filed for an injunction to a constitutional court to block the warrant, calling the arrest order “an unlawful and invalid act”, and also submitted an objection to the Seoul court that ordered it.

But the head of the CIO, Oh Dong-woon, has warned that anyone trying to block authorities from arresting Yoon could themselves face prosecution. Along with the summons, a Seoul court issued a search warrant for his official residence and other locations.

South Korean officials have previously failed to execute similar arrest warrants for lawmakers – in 2000 and 2004 – due to party members and supporters blocking police for the seven days the warrants were valid.