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S. Korean investigators move again to arrest impeached President Yoon

CGTN

 , Updated 09:12, 15-Jan-2025

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Investigators from the state anti-corruption agency and police officers make their way to the residence of impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol to execute a warrant to detain Yoon in Seoul, South Korea, January 15, 2025. /CFP
Investigators from the state anti-corruption agency and police officers make their way to the residence of impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol to execute a warrant to detain Yoon in Seoul, South Korea, January 15, 2025. /CFP

Investigators from the state anti-corruption agency and police officers make their way to the residence of impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol to execute a warrant to detain Yoon in Seoul, South Korea, January 15, 2025. /CFP

South Korean investigators on Wednesday entered the presidential residence in an attempt to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol, TV footage showed.

Police officers and investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the National Office of Investigation broke through the second cordon of buses after getting through the first cordon using ladders.

The investigators confronted Yoon's supporters, lawmakers of the ruling conservative People Power Party and Yoon's defense counsels in front of the main gate of the presidential residence for over two hours early Wednesday following a botched attempt to apprehend Yoon earlier this month.

Local media reported that the investigators were involved in a "physical clash" with the security service. Police warned that any attempt to resist the warrant's execution could lead to arrest.

"The execution of the presidential arrest warrant has begun," acting President Choi Sang-mok said Wednesday in a statement.

Yoon's lawyer, Seok Dong-hyeon, wrote on Facebook that negotiations were underway for the president to voluntarily appear because of the "risk of a serious situation" between the rival forces.

South Korean investigators seeking to arrest Yoon on Wednesday were not considering a request by his lawyers for him to meet investigators voluntarily and aimed to execute their arrest warrant, according to Yonhap News Agency.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's residence in Seoul, South Korea, January 15, 2025. /CFP
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's residence in Seoul, South Korea, January 15, 2025. /CFP

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's residence in Seoul, South Korea, January 15, 2025. /CFP

A previous attempt to detain Yoon, which his lawyers have argued is illegal and designed to publicly humiliate him, was called off on January 3 after a six-hour standoff with his presidential security agents and military guards.

A Seoul court granted the extension of warrant to apprehend Yoon on January 7 by issuing the second warrant against the impeached president.

An impeachment motion against Yoon was passed by the National Assembly on December 14 last year and delivered to the constitutional court for deliberation for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended.

Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on an insurrection charge, declared a martial law on the night of December 3, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

Yoon's declaration of martial law stunned South Koreans and plunged the Asian country into an unprecedented period of political turmoil.

The arrest warrant is the first ever issued against an incumbent South Korean president.

Separately, the Constitutional Court is deliberating over whether to uphold a vote by lawmakers to impeach Yoon and permanently remove him from office.

The opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority in parliament after a landslide legislative election victory last year, issued a statement calling on Yoon to comply with the arrest.

"There is no place to run anymore," the party said.

(With input from agencies)

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