South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol, who was impeached on Friday, evaded an attempted arrest on Friday after an hours-long standoff between investigators from the country’s Anti-Corruption Bureau and presidential security guards.
The agents left the presidential palace after presidential security officials blocked them from entering the palace for nearly six hours due to safety concerns.
The agency expressed “serious regret over the suspect’s failure to comply with legal procedures.”
Mr. Yun was impeached last month over his brief declaration of martial law, but for several weeks he has refused to be questioned by investigators. He has not left his official residence since December 12, when he went to the nearby presidential palace to make a televised statement to the nation. He vowed to fight the expulsion effort.
Political crisis deepens, arrest warrant issued for impeached South Korean president
South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol speaks during an interview at the presidential palace in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, January 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Lee Jin Man)
Mr. Yun, clearly frustrated that his policies were blocked by the opposition-dominated parliament, declared martial law on December 3 and sent troops to surround the parliament.
Within hours, the National Assembly unanimously overturned the declaration and impeached Yun for treason on December 14. Meanwhile, anti-corruption authorities and prosecutors have launched separate investigations.
A court in Seoul issued a detention warrant for Yun on Tuesday, but its execution will be complicated as long as he remains in his official residence.
In Seoul, South Korea, as supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol hold a rally to protest the court’s issuance of a warrant for his arrest, investigators from the Office of High-Level Corruption Investigation arrive at the gates of the presidential palace. Friday, January 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin Man)
Court issues arrest warrant for South Korean President Yoon
Lawyers for Mr. Yun, who challenged the warrant on Thursday, said the warrant could not be used at his residence because of a law that prohibits searches of places that could be related to military secrets without the consent of those in charge. It is argued that it cannot be enforced.
The agency said it would discuss further measures, but did not immediately say whether it would try to detain Yun again. His detention warrant is valid for one week.
If the investigative authorities succeed in detaining Yoon, they are likely to ask the court for formal permission to arrest him. Otherwise, he will be released after 48 hours.
Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol hold a rally near the presidential palace in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday, January 3, 2025, to protest a court’s issuance of a warrant to arrest Yoon. . (AP Photo/Lee Jin Man)
Thousands of police officers gathered at Yun’s mansion on Friday, surrounding a growing group of pro-Yun demonstrators, braving subzero temperatures for hours, waving South Korean and American flags as he stood outside. chanted slogans in support of.
There were no immediate reports of major clashes outside the official residence.
The dramatic scene appeared to devolve into a standoff, about five hours after dozens of investigators and police officers were seen entering the gates of a Seoul mansion to execute a detention warrant for Mr. Yoon. . Two of Yoon’s lawyers, Yoon Gak-geun and Kim Hong-il, were seen entering the gates of the presidential palace around noon.
It is not clear whether the agents succeeded in breaking into Yoon’s building, but South Korea’s YTN TV reported that agents and police confronted presidential security forces and a scuffle broke out.
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Since the National Assembly voted to impeach Yun on December 14, his presidential powers have been suspended. Yun’s fate now rests with the Constitutional Court, which has upheld the impeachment and has begun deliberations on whether to formally remove him from office or reinstate him. At least six judges of the nine-member Constitutional Court would need to vote in favor of his removal.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
