SEOUL:South Korean authorities entered the residence of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday to enforce an unprecedented arrest warrant, overcoming protests outside but facing resistance from presidential security forces inside.
The Presidential Security Service (PSS), which had previously blocked investigators from accessing Yoon’s office and residence despite a search warrant, came under scrutiny for potentially obstructing the arrest.
Yoon is under criminal investigation for alleged insurrection following his December 3 declaration of martial law—an act that shocked South Korea’s democratic and economic stronghold. If executed, this would be the first time a sitting South Korean president faces arrest.
Early Friday morning, officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), supported by police and prosecutors, arrived at Yoon’s compound. Their entry was initially blocked by a bus obstructing the driveway.
While some investigators entered on foot through an open gate, they encountered further barriers, including another bus and an armored vehicle, before progressing.
Inside the compound, the authorities faced resistance from PSS personnel and military troops assigned to protect the president. The Ministry of National Defense confirmed these troops were under the PSS’s command.
Yonhap News Agency reported that the PSS chief claimed investigators had no authority to search the residence. Meanwhile, Yoon’s legal team denounced the arrest warrant as unlawful and vowed to challenge it in court.
Outside the residence, protests grew as news of the impending arrest spread. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered, with some voicing support for Yoon and others calling for the CIO chief’s arrest.
Among the protesters, 74-year-old Pyeong In-su, waving a US-South Korea flag, described the demonstrations as patriotic. Pyeong expressed hope that US President-elect Donald Trump would intervene on Yoon’s behalf.
The arrest warrant, valid until January 6, grants investigators a 48-hour window to decide whether to pursue further detention or release Yoon. If detained, Yoon is expected to be held at the Seoul Detention Center.
The controversy stems from Yoon’s martial law declaration, which he claimed was necessary to address political gridlock and combat alleged “anti-state forces.” Hours later, 190 lawmakers overturned the decree, forcing Yoon to withdraw it. Yoon defended his decision, accusing political opponents of North Korean sympathies and election interference without providing evidence.
Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, a key figure in the martial law decree, has already been detained and charged with insurrection and abuse of power. Insurrection is one of the few charges that does not grant immunity to a sitting South Korean president.
Impeached and suspended from office on December 14, Yoon now awaits the Constitutional Court’s ruling on whether to reinstate or permanently remove him. The court’s next hearing is scheduled for later on Friday.
