Mr. Yoon, a former prosecutor, defied investigators' attempts to question him for weeks. The last time he reportedly left the residence was on December 12, when he went to the nearby presidential office to make a televised statement to the nation, defiantly asserting that he would fight efforts to dismiss him.
Investigators with the country's anti-graft agency are considering rebellion charges after Mr. Yoon, apparently frustrated that his policies were being blocked by an opposition-dominated parliament, declared martial law on Dec. 3 and sent in troops to surround the National Assembly.
Parliament overturned the declaration within hours in a unanimous vote and itself impeached Mr Yoon on December 14, while South Korean authorities opened a criminal investigation into the events. Mr. Yoon remained defiant, ignoring requests for questioning and vowing to fight to stay in power.
A Seoul court issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Yoon on Tuesday, but enforcement is complicated as long as he remains in his official residence.
Mr. Yoon's lawyers, who filed a challenge to the warrant on Thursday, say it cannot be applied to his residence because of a law that protects places potentially linked to military secrets from being searched without the consent of the military. responsible person. The mandate is valid for one week.
They also argued that the Senior Officials Corruption Investigation Bureau, which is conducting a joint investigation with police and military investigators, does not have the authority to investigate the rebellion charges. They said the police officers do not have the legal authority to help arrest Mr. Yoon and could be arrested either by the “presidential security service or by any citizen.” They did not provide further details on this claim.
If investigators succeed in arresting Mr. Yoon, they will likely ask a court for permission to make a formal arrest. Otherwise, he will be released after 48 hours.
Thousands of police
Thousands of police gathered outside Mr. Yoon's residence on Friday, forming a perimeter around a growing group of pro-Yoon protesters who braved freezing temperatures for hours, waving South Korean and American flags while chanting slogans in his favor. No major clashes were immediately reported outside the residence.
South Korea: demonstrations in front of the residence of President Yoon Suk-Yeol (France24/VideoElephant)
Nearly five hours after dozens of investigators and police officers were seen streaming through the gates of the residence in Seoul to execute an arrest warrant for Mr. Yoon, the dramatic scene appeared to have turned into a confrontation. Two of Mr. Yoon's lawyers, Yoon Kap-keun and Kim Hong-il, were seen walking through the gate of the presidential residence around noon.
Seok Dong-hyeon, one of several lawyers on Mr. Yoon's legal team, confirmed that investigators had arrived at the building but said it was unlikely they would be able to arrest the president on Friday. He said the agency's efforts to arrest Ms. Yoon were “reckless” and showed an “outrageous disregard for the law.”
The anti-corruption agency did not immediately respond to questions about whether investigators had managed to enter Mr. Yoon's residential building, but South Korean television YTN reported scuffles then as investigators and police clashed with presidential security forces.
South Korea's Defense Ministry confirmed that investigators and police officers passed a military unit guarding the grounds of the residence before arriving at the building. The presidential security service, which controls the residence itself, declined to say whether its members were confronting investigators and whether they intended to block the attempted arrest.
The liberal opposition Democratic Party called on the country's acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, to order the presidential security service to stand down. Mr. Choi did not immediately comment on the situation.
“Don’t drag the honest personnel of the Presidential Security Service and other officials into the depths of crime,” said Jo Seung-lae, a Democratic lawmaker. Mr. Choi must “remember that it is his responsibility to quickly tackle the rebellion and prevent further chaos,” Mr. Jo said.
Mr. Yoon's defense minister, police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested for their roles during the martial law period.
