South Korean authorities were unable to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday following a tense standoff over his martial law declaration. Although investigators gained access to the presidential compound, they encountered strong resistance from security forces, ultimately forcing them to abandon their attempt.
South Korean authorities failed to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday after a tense standoff over his martial law declaration. Despite getting access to the presidential compound, investigators faced opposition from security forces, forcing them to abandon their efforts.
Supporters of Yoon Suk Yeol started gathering near the presidential residence in the early morning hours of the morning. By sunrise, the crowd turned into hundreds, with protestors pledging to block any attempt to arrest the president.
At 7 am, officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CI0) arrived at the compound along with the police. The CIO is leading a joint investigation on Yoon’s controversial martial law declaration on December 3. As soon as they entered the compound on foot, investigators saw that security cordons managed by the Presidential Security Service (PSS) and military personnel were deployed to protect Yoon. It was later clarified that these troops were under the PSS’s control.
Suspension of arrest attempt
The CIO decided to stop the arrest attempt as the standoff was carried on for hours. The agency stated that it was concerned for the safety of its personnel and blamed the restrictions by the security forces. ‘’It was decided that it was impossible to implement the arrest warrant because of the ongoing standoff’’, the CIO mentioned and expressed ‘’deep regret’’ about Yoon’s refusal to cooperate.
The arrest warrant has been declared invalid by Yoon’s legal team which has warned that they will take legal action against it. The warrant is valid till January 6 and permits only 48 hours of detention window in case of arrest. After being unsuccessful in its attempt, the CIO announced that it plans to rethink its future course of action, indicating that efforts to make Yoon accountable will continue.
(With inputs from Reuters)