Investigators in South Korea suspended their attempt to arrest Yoon Suk Yeol, ending a nearly six-hour standoff with the impeached president’s security service.
The country’s anti-corruption agency said it was halting the execution of an arrest warrant for Mr Yoon due to concerns over the safety of the officers who had gone to detain him.
The agency expressed “serious regret about the attitude of the suspect, who did not respond to a process by law”.
A team comprising 120 police officers and 30 officials from the Corruption Investigation Office tried to enter the presidential palace after 7am local time to execute the arrest warrant.
They were confronted by the presidential security service personnel who blocked their way.
Mr Yoon is South Korea’s first sitting president to face arrest. A Seoul court on Tuesday granted an arrest warrant sought by prosecutors investigating whether Mr Yoon’s declaration of martial law last month amounted to insurrection.
Mr Yoon’s lawyer said on Friday that the execution of an invalid arrest warrant against Mr Yoon was unlawful and that they would take legal action.
Key Points
- Arrest team leaves presidential residence due to ‘due to sustained standoff'
- Protest in Seoul as investigators attempt to detain Yoon
- Two military commanders indicted by prosecutors
Investigators say they faced a human wall of 200 people and large scuffles
06:11 , Shweta SharmaThe investigators said that they faced a human wall of about 200 personnel at the presidential palace after they suspended the execution of arrest warrant for Yoon Suk Yeol.
The Corruption Investigation Office said they were outnumbered by the presidential security services officials and could not get through, reported Yonhap.
The investigators reported that there were “various small and large scuffles” during the standoff.
South Korean president vows to ‘fight to the end’ as he faces arrest
06:01 , Shweta SharmaSouth Korea’s impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed to “fight to the end” as authorities dispatched investigators to execute a warrant to detain him over his shock attempt to impose martial law.
As his lawyers warned that police officers attempting to detain him on behalf of South Korea’s anti-corruption agency could themselves face arrest “by either the presidential security service or any citizens”, Mr Yoon sent a defiant message to supporters rallying outside his Seoul residence.
Mr Yoon vowed to “fight to the end” against anti-state forces “violating our sovereignty” and putting the nation in “danger”, while his lawyers claimed that any attempt by the anti-corruption agency to use police units for his detention would exceed their legal authority.
The message was swiftly condemned by South Korea’s Democratic Party, which accused Mr Yoon of “trying to stage insurrection” and inciting his supporters to obstruct attempts to detain him. South Korean law permits anyone to make an arrest to stop an active crime.
South Korean president vows to ‘fight to the end’ as he faces arrest
South Korea’s ruling party interim leader welcome suspension of arrest
05:56 , Shweta SharmaThe interim leader of South Korea’s ruling party, Kwon Young Se, has welcomed the suspension of the attempt to arrest Yoon Suk Yeol.
The People Power Party head said investigations must be conducted against Mr Yoon without arresting him.
He said the attempt to arrest was unjustified and must not be attempted again.
Hundreds of Yoon supporters break into celebration
05:34 , Shweta SharmaHundreds of supporters of president Yoon Suk Yeol who gathered outside the presidential palace to protest his arrest broke into celebration after the arresting team announced their decision to retreat.
The protesters danced and cheered, chanting: “We won!”
Pro-Yoon protesters braved subfreezing temperatures for hours, waving South Korean and American flags while chanting slogans in his support.
They raised “Stop The Steal” flags to protest his arrest.
Arrest team leaves presidential residence due to ‘due to sustained standoff'
05:06 , Shweta SharmaSouth Korean investigators left the president’s official residence after a nearly six-hour standoff during which he defied their attempt to detain him.
In a statement, investigators said they “judge that the arrest is practically impossible to carry out due to sustained standoff”.
“We are concerned for the safety of the team on the ground,” it added.
They said the next steps will be planned after a review.
“We find the attitude of the accused who refused the legal process...deeply regrettable”.The agency expressed “serious regret about the attitude of the suspect, who did not respond to a process by law.”
Arresting team to suspend execution of arrest warrant for Yoon - Yonhap
04:45 , Shweta SharmaInvestigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials have said they will suspend the execution of the arrest warrant for president Yoon Suk Yeol, reported Yonhap.
North Korea says South is in chaos
04:35 , Shweta SharmaNorth Korea’s state media today reported on the crisis in neighbouring South Korea, describing the situation as “politically paralyzed and socially chaotic”.
“In puppet South Korea, an unprecedented impeachment took place following the 3 December martial law incident, and a detention warrant was issued for the president, paralyzing state affairs and further deepening social and political chaos,” the Korean Central News Agency reported.
The report described the political chaos in detail, including the impending execution of an arrest warrant against impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol.
“Foreign media have criticized that South Korea has been thrown deeper into a political storm,” the KCNA said.
North Korea has largely remained tightlipped on the happenings in South Korea and first reported it on 16 December, days after the botched martial law imposition.
The report was published on the sixth page of the Rodong Sinmun daily, which caters to the general readership in North Korea.
Pictures show tense situation in Seoul
04:21 , Shweta SharmaA large number of supporters of Yoon Suk Yeol and the media have gathered outside the presidential residence in Seoul as authorities tried to arrest him.
Thousands of police officers were gathered at Mr Yoon‘s residence and were forming a perimeter around a growing number of pro-Yoon protesters, who waved South Korean flags and shouted slogans in his support.
Investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials were seen walking up a slope inside the premises of Mr Yoon’s residence.
Two military commanders indicted by prosecutors
04:01 , Shweta SharmaProsecutors on Friday indicted army chief Park An Su and special forces commander Kwak Jong Geun for their alleged role in imposing martial law on the orders on Yoon Suk Yeol.
Army chief Park, who served as martial law commander, and Mr Kwak, were indicted under detention on charges of insurrection and abuse of power, according to the Yonhap.
Mr Kwak has been accused of sending special operations forces to the National Assembly under orders of Mr Yoon to secure the building.
Who is Yoon Suk Yeol, the impeached South Korean president who declared martial law?
03:55 , Shweta Sharmaoon Suk Yeol, who narrowly won the presidency in 2022, has been facing mounting unpopularity since taking office.
Already weakened by a crushing parliamentary election defeat for his party earlier this year, his approval ratings had plummeted to 17 per cent before this week’s events.
The chaos began on 3 December when Mr Yoon justified his martial law declaration citing threats from North Korea and the need to eliminate “anti-state elements”.
But the move was widely interpreted as an attempt to consolidate power in the face of his domestic struggles. Within hours, lawmakers, some from his own People Power Party, rushed to the National Assembly to block the order, while thousands of protesters took to the streets in Seoul.
Read my colleague Namita Singh’s report
Who is Yoon Suk Yeol, the impeached South Korean president who declared martial law?
Why is Yoon Suk Yeol being arrested?
03:53 , Shweta SharmaAn ongoing political crisis has paralysed South Korean politics as president Yoon Suk Yeol is likely to become the first sitting president in the country’s democratic history to be arrested.
It began on 3 December when Mr Yoon declared martial law and dispatched troops to surround the National Assembly. He was apparently frustrated that his policies were blocked by an opposition-dominated parliament.
Within hours, the parliament overturned the declaration in a unanimous vote and impeached Mr Yoon himself on 14 December, while South Korean authorities opened a criminal investigation into the events.
On 31 December, a warrant was issued to detain Mr Yoon after the president ignored multiple summons for questioning over charges of insurrection and abuse of power.
The warrant is valid until 6 January.
The leader of a rebellion can face the death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted under South Korean law. Mr Yoon has presidential immunity from most criminal prosecution, but the privilege doesn’t extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.
However, experts suggest the warrant is unlikely to be executed.
Protest and clashes in Seoul as investigators attempt to detain Yoon
03:42 , Shweta SharmaA team of investigators and police officers have been in an hours-long standoff with presidential security forces to block attempts to arrest Yoon Suk Yeol.
It has been four hours since dozens of investigators and police officers were seen entering the gate of the residence in Seoul to execute a warrant for Mr Yoon’s detention, the dramatic scene appeared to have developed into a standoff.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry confirmed that the investigators and police officers got past a military unit guarding the residence’s grounds before arriving at the building.
The presidential security service, which controls the residence itself, refused to comment on whether its members were confronting investigators and whether they planned to block the detention attempt.
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of deepening political crisis in South Korea as investigators execute arrest warrant against Yoon Suk Yeol
