Police officers and investigators leave impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's official residence, as investigators were unable to execute an arrest warrant on Friday for Yoon according to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, in Seoul, South Korea, Jan 3, 2025.
SEOUL — South Korean authorities failed to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday (Jan 3) over his martial law declaration, after evading a crowd of protesters outside his compound but coming to a standoff with presidential security forces inside.
Yoon supporters gathered in the pre-dawn hours near the presidential residence, with the numbers swelling into the hundreds as they vowed to block any attempt to arrest Yoon.
Officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which is leading a joint team of investigators into Yoon's brief declaration of martial law on Dec 3, arrived at the gates of the presidential compound shortly after 7am local time (2200 GMT Thursday) and entered on foot.
PHOTO: Yonhap via Reuters
Once inside the compound, the CIO and accompanying police faced cordons of Presidential Security Service (PSS) personnel, as well as military troops seconded to presidential security, media reported. South Korea's Ministry of National Defence said the troops were under the control of the PSS.
The CIO called off the effort to arrest Yoon around 1.30pm due to concerns over the safety of its personnel due to obstruction, and said it "deeply regretted" Yoon's attitude of non-compliance.
"It was judged that it was virtually impossible to execute the arrest warrant due to the ongoing standoff," the CIO said in a statement.
PHOTO: Reuters
Yoon's lawyer said in an earlier statement on Friday that execution of an invalid arrest warrant against Yoon is unlawful, and that they would take legal action, without elaborating.
The arrest warrant, approved by a court on Tuesday after Yoon ignored multiple summons to appear for questioning, is viable until Jan 6, and gives investigators only 48 hours to hold Yoon after he is arrested. Investigators must then decide whether to request a detention warrant or release him.
The CIO said on Friday it would review the situation and decide on possible next steps.
Korean authorities fail to arrest suspended president, Yoon Suk Yeol
South Korean investigators have given up on efforts to arrest suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol following a six-hour standoff with his security team outside his home in central Seoul.
The Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which has been probing Yoon's brief martial law declaration, has since cited the practical impossibility of the arrest and concerns for the safety of its team as key factors in the decision.
The agency said it would now review the situation before deciding on further actions as they face supporters of Yoon, who had gathered outside the presidential residence and were left chanting slogans and singing in jubilation at the failure of the CIO to arrest the suspended president.
The arrest team numbered around 140-150 by the time it moved towards the compound at 08:00 local time according to reports, and although some members succeeded in entering the premises, they then faced resistance from Yoon’s security detail and a military unit assigned to protect Seoul.
As a result, a standoff ensued which included negotiations between investigators and Yoon’s security team but to no avail.
A court in the South Korean capital had issued the warrant earlier in the week after Yoon failed to comply with three summonses for questioning and investigators only have until January 6 to act on the current warrant, although they could apply for a new one to attempt another arrest.
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