Suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol remains defiant in his newly fortified residence, with an arrest warrant short-term military order expires on Monday.
Yoon’s security team, which prevented investigators from arresting him on Friday, installed barbed wire and barricaded the compound with buses over the weekend to prevent another attempt.
Yoon ignored repeated calls to appear for questioning on sedition and abuse of power charges before investigators turned up at his residence – only to call off their operation after a six-hour standoff with presidential security.
Investigators may try to extend their warrant. They told the BBC they had asked the police to carry it out, hoping their efforts would carry more weight.
Public anger has grown in recent weeks, as thousands of protesters braved heavy snow over the weekend, both in support of and against Yoon.
South Korea has been in crisis for the past month, since Yoon tried to impose a state of emergency citing threats from the North and “anti-state forces”. The fallout continues as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Seoul, seeking to stabilize ties ahead of Donald Trump’s presidency.
Deadline
Time is almost up for investigators handling the criminal case against Yoon.
Yoon’s lawyers argued that his arrest warrant was “illegal” since anti-corruption investigators did not have the authority to oversee a case as serious as a riot.
That — along with the fact that Yoon remains the current president before the constitutional court confirms his impeachment — was cited by the presidential security team to block Yoon’s arrest.
“For the PSS, whose primary mission is the absolute security of the president, complying with the execution of an arrest warrant amid ongoing legal disputes would be tantamount to dereliction of duty,” security chief Park Jong-joon said on Sunday as he denied accusations that his the team serves as a “private militia” for Yoon.
Yoon’s lawyers, who on Monday filed a complaint against investigators over the attempted arrest, said Yoon was “virtually detained in his residence.”
They also filed an injunction against the warrant, which the court rejected, although they said they were considering an appeal against that decision.
Meanwhile, Acting President Choi Sang-mok resisted opposition calls to remove key security officials who obstructed the arrest.
The BBC has learned that opposition MPs have asked investigators to try to arrest Yoon again, but “more firmly and with sufficient resources”.
Investigators could also request a new detention order, which must be approved by a judge. That would allow Yoon to be detained for up to 20 days, while the arrest warrant only allows him to be held for 48 hours.
But without a change in the situation or their approach, it is unlikely that investigators or police will be able to make an arrest.
As seen last Friday, they could be blocked again by the presidential security service, which has formed a “human wall” to protect Yoon. He himself promised to “fight to the end”, which divided the public and encouraged his supporters who have been protesting in front of his house for days.
The tense conflict is also raised urgent issues on the strength and effectiveness of South Korean political and legal institutions.
A diplomatic headwind
And it has consequences beyond domestic politics.
Until last month, the Biden administration had praised Yoon, enthusiastic about his willingness to work with Washington to counter the security threats posed by North Korea and China. The US has put a lot of effort into helping South Korea mend its strained relations with Japan, so that the three countries could work together to resolve these issues.
So, the current visit of Mr. Blinkena’s trip to Seoul, where she will meet with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Monday, comes at a difficult time for the two allies.
Yoon did not tell the US about his plans to impose a state of emergency, meaning Washington had no chance to dissuade him and was unprepared for the chaos that ensued.
Blinken will not want to be drawn into the current political situation. Instead, they will want to focus on preserving trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo after Biden’s term.
But it is difficult to separate the internal and geopolitical situation. South Korea could be months away from electing a new president, who may want to break with Yoon’s foreign policy.
Similarly, Trump, who enters the White House in two weeks, will also pursue his own agenda.
Additional reporting by Hosu Lee and Leehyun Choi in Seoul
