Standoff at presidential residence as investigators seek to arrest impeached President Yoon

Investigators seeking to arrest South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his attempted martial law declaration faced a standoff with the Presidential Security Service (PSS) outside the presidential residence on Friday, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) presented warrants for Yoon’s arrest and a search of the residence. However, PSS chief Park Chong-jun blocked their entry, citing security restrictions on the premises.

“CIO prosecutors and investigators are in a standoff with the Presidential Security Service in front of the residence after moving past the first and second barriers,” a police official said.

The CIO has until Monday to execute the arrest warrant linked to Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3, Yonhap reported.

Observers had said that arresting Yoon on Saturday and Sunday poses a greater risk of confronting Yoon’s supporters while executing the warrant on Monday will be too close to the deadline.

A Seoul court on Tuesday approved a warrant to detain Yoon, who was impeached over his failed attempt to impose martial law. Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly over his attempt to impose martial law in the country.

While issuing the warrants, the court rejected Yoon’s claims that the CIO lacks jurisdiction over insurrection cases and that the warrant request was therefore illegal. The court also dismissed Yoon’s claims that he couldn’t attend questioning sessions because arrangements for his personal safety and security detail, as the president, had not been made, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Earlier on December 14, Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly over his attempt to impose martial law in the country. The members of the unicameral National Assembly had voted 204 to 85 to impeach South Korea’s President.

Three members of the National Assembly abstained from voting while eight votes were declared invalid. The voting was conducted through a secret ballot, with two-thirds of the vote needed for impeachment. All 300 members of the assembly cast their votes.

After his impeachment, Yoon was suspended from office.