South Korean investigators tried to detain the impeached president on Friday Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived state of war last month, as hundreds of his supporters gathered near his residence in Seoul, vowing to protect him.
About 20 investigators from the Bureau of Corruption Investigation for Senior Officials and Police were seen entering the door of Yoon’s residence in Seoul to execute a warrant for his detention.
It was not clear whether the president would cooperate with authorities trying to arrest him. In a defiant New Year’s message to conservative supporters gathered outside his residence, Yoon said he would “fight to the end” against “anti-state forces”. His lawyers described the warrant for his detention as “invalid” and “illegal”.
The anti-corruption agency did not immediately confirm whether investigators successfully entered Yoon’s apartment building or clashed with presidential security personnel.
Investigators from the anti-corruption agency were earlier seen loading boxes into several vehicles before leaving their building in the city of Gwacheon early in the morning. Television footage later showed some of those vehicles weaving between police buses that were huddled and barricaded in the streets near Yoon’s residence.
A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon
A Seoul court issued a warrant for Yoon’s detention on Tuesday after he evaded multiple requests to appear for questioning and blocked searches of his Seoul office, hampering an investigation into whether his botched power grab on Dec. 3 constituted a rebellion.
The warrant is valid for a week, and investigators may try to detain Yoon again if they fail to do so on Friday.
Thousands of police officers converged on Yoon’s residence and formed a perimeter around a growing number of pro-Yoon protesters, who waved South Korean flags and chanted slogans in support of him. There were no immediate reports of clashes.
If Yoon is detained, the anti-corruption agency will have 48 hours to investigate him and either request a warrant for his formal arrest or release him. Yoon’s defense minister, police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested for their roles in imposing martial law.
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Yoon’s lawyers argued that the court’s detention order was invalid, arguing that the anti-corruption agency had no legal authority to investigate the sedition charges. They also accuse the court of circumventing a law that says locations potentially linked to military secrets cannot be seized or searched without the consent of the person responsible.
Oh Dong-woon, chief prosecutor of the anti-corruption agency, indicated that police forces could be deployed if Yoon’s security forces resist an arrest attempt.
But Yoon’s legal team issued a statement on Thursday warning that any attempt by the anti-corruption agency to use police units to detain him would exceed its legal authority. The lawyers said the police officers could be arrested either by “the presidential security service or any citizen” if they tried to detain Yoon. They did not elaborate further on the claim.
South Korean lawmakers impeach president after declaring state of emergency
South Korean law allows anyone to be arrested to stop an active crime, and critics have accused Yoon of encouraging his supporters to obstruct attempts to detain him.
Yoon Kap-keun, the president’s lawyer, filed an appeal with the Western District Court in Seoul on Thursday to block Yoon Suk Yeol’s detention order and a related search warrant for his residence. The lawyer argued that both orders violate criminal laws and the constitution.
The liberal opposition Democratic Party, which launched a legislative vote to impeach Yoon Suk Yeol on Dec. 14 over his imposition of martial law, accused the president of trying to mobilize his supporters to block his detention and called on law enforcement to carry out the order immediately.
Despite freezing temperatures, thousands of Yoon’s supporters rallied for hours Thursday near his residence amid a heavy police presence, waving South Korean and American flags as they chanted, “Repeal the impeachment!” and “We will protect President Yoon Suk Yeol!” Police removed some protesters lying on the road leading to the entrance to Yoon’s residence, but there were no immediate reports of major clashes.
Some experts believe the anti-corruption agency, which is conducting a joint investigation with police and military authorities, would not risk a clash with Yoon’s security service, which has said it will provide Yoon with security in accordance with the law. The office could instead issue another summons for Yoon to appear for questioning if they are unable to execute the detention order by the Jan. 6 deadline.
Yoon’s presidential powers were suspended after the National Assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14 for his imposition of martial law, which lasted only a few hours but sparked weeks of political turmoil, stalled high-level diplomacy and roiled financial markets. Yoon’s fate now rests with the Constitutional Court, which has begun debating whether to uphold the impeachment and formally remove Yoon from office or reinstate him.
To officially end Yoon’s presidency, at least six justices from the nine-member Constitutional Court must vote in favor.
The National Assembly last week also voted to impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who became acting president after Yoon’s powers were suspended, over his reluctance to fill three vacancies on the Constitutional Court before a judicial review of Yoon’s case.
South Korea’s parliament has impeached acting president Han
Facing mounting pressure, the new acting president, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, appointed two new judges on Tuesday, likely increasing the chances of the court upholding Yoon’s impeachment.
Yoon’s imposition of martial law ended after just six hours when the National Assembly voted 190-0 to lift it despite attempts by heavily armed soldiers to prevent them from voting.
Yoon defended his martial law decree as a necessary act of governance, portraying it as a temporary warning against the Democratic Party, which he described as an “anti-state” force obstructing his agenda with its legislative majority.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
