Members of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials gather in front of the impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's official residence, as Yoon faces potential arrest after a court on Tuesday approved a warrant for his arrest, in Seoul, South Korea.

South Korean authorities fail to arrest impeached President Yoon due to security stand-off

South Korean authorities were unable to apprehend impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday regarding his declaration of martial law. He managed to evade a gathering of protesters outside his residence but encountered a standoff with presidential security forces within the compound.

Supporters of Yoon began assembling in the early morning hours near the presidential residence, with their numbers increasing to the hundreds as they pledged to prevent any attempts to arrest him.

Officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which is spearheading a joint investigation into Yoon’s brief martial law declaration on December 3, arrived at the presidential compound shortly after 7 a.m. (2200 GMT Thursday) and entered on foot.

Upon entering, the CIO and accompanying police were met with barriers set up by the Presidential Security Service (PSS) and military personnel assigned to assist with presidential security, according to media reports. The Ministry of National Defense of South Korea confirmed that these troops were operating under the PSS’s command.

The CIO ultimately decided to halt the arrest attempt around 1:30 p.m., citing safety concerns for their personnel due to the ongoing obstruction, and expressed disappointment over Yoon’s non-compliance. “It was assessed that executing the arrest warrant was virtually impossible given the current standoff,” the CIO stated.

Yoon’s attorney previously asserted that the execution of an invalid arrest warrant against Yoon is unlawful and indicated that they would pursue legal action, although further details were not provided.

A court issued an arrest warrant on Tuesday after Yoon failed to respond to several summons for questioning. This warrant remains valid until January 6 and allows investigators a 48-hour window to detain Yoon following his arrest. After this period, they must determine whether to seek a detention warrant or to release him.

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The Corruption Investigation Office announced on Friday that they would assess the situation and consider potential next steps.


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