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Korean investigators fail to arrest impeached President Yoon

South Korean investigators and policemen prepare to enter the presidential residence in central Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 3, 2025. A group of South Korean prosecutors and investigators of the anti-corruption investigative unit launched an attempt to arrest the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol, multiple media outlets said Friday. (NEWSIS via Xinhua)

SEOUL | Xinhua | South Korean investigators with the anti-corruption investigative unit left the presidential residence after failing to arrest the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) said the continued confrontation virtually made it impossible to execute the arrest warrant against Yoon, which was issued by a Seoul court on Tuesday.

The CIO noted that it stopped the execution at about 1:30 p.m. local time (0430 GMT) over concerns about the safety of investigators at the scene, expressing deep regret over the attitude of Yoon who refused to comply with legal procedures.

The investigative unit added that it will decide on future measures after relevant reviews.

A group of CIO prosecutors and investigators attempted to arrest the impeached president over his martial law imposition in the presidential residence in central Seoul on Friday, but after confronting the presidential security service agents, they had to stop proceeding with the arrest warrant.

Earlie, prosecutors and investigators of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) walked into a road at the main gate leading to the presidential residence in central Seoul, TV footage showed.

The investigators were reportedly confronting agents of the presidential security service, who protect Yoon at close range inside the residence.

The CIO warned earlier that if the security service blocked the arrest, it would be a crime of obstruction of justice.

The detention warrant against Yoon was issued by a Seoul court on Tuesday to question the impeached leader over his martial law imposition on the night of Dec. 3, 2024, that was revoked by the National Assembly hours later. Yoon had been named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on insurrection charge.

About 2,700 riot policemen were reportedly deployed to the residence to help proceed with the arrest warrant.

The CIO has been investigating Yoon’s martial law imposition jointly with the National Office of Investigation (NOI) and the defense ministry’s investigation headquarters.

The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed in the National Assembly on Dec. 14 and was delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon’s power is suspended. ■

 

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