S. Korea investigators seek new warrant as impeached Yoon’s residence turns ‘fortress’ amid standoff

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - The residence (top) of South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is seen in Seoul on January 6, 2025. — AFP pic

SEOUL, Jan 7 — South Korean anti-graft investigators waited today for a new court-ordered arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose failed martial law bid threw the country into turmoil.

The former star prosecutor has refused questioning three times after his bungled December 3 martial law decree plunged South Korea into its worst political crisis in decades.

As anti-graft officials seek a new warrant from the same court that issued the first order, Yoon remains holed up in his residence surrounded by hundreds of guards preventing his detention.

“The Joint Investigation Headquarters today refiled a warrant with the Seoul Western District Court to extend the arrest warrant for defendant Yoon,” the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) said in a statement late yesterday.

“Details regarding the validity period cannot be disclosed,” it added after the initial seven-day warrant expired.

If investigators are able to detain him, Yoon would become the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested.

There was no comment by investigators or the Seoul court on the new warrant being approved by this afternoon.

However, CIO deputy director Lee Jae-seung told reporters earlier today that the likelihood the court would not grant an extension was “very low”.

Yoon is being investigated on charges of insurrection and, if formally arrested and convicted, faces prison or, at worst, the death penalty.

His lawyers repeatedly said the initial warrant was “unlawful”, pledging to take further legal action against it.

They have argued the CIO lacks the authority to investigate because insurrection is not included in the list of offences it can probe.

Yun Bok-nam, president of Lawyers for a Democratic Society, who is not involved in the investigation, said it was likely a reissued warrant would be accepted, although it might take longer than expected.

“In the previous instance, it took quite a long time — almost a day-and-a-half,” Yun told AFP.

‘Fortress’

CIO chief Oh Dong-woon apologised on today for the failed arrest attempt, saying he was “heartbroken”.

“I must express my sincere apologies to the public for the failure to execute the arrest warrant due to the security measures taken by the Presidential Security Service,” he told lawmakers at the National Assembly.

The CIO was set up less than four years ago and has fewer than 100 staff, who are yet to prosecute a single case.

“Naturally, they have no prior experience with arrests, let alone something as significant as arresting the president,” Yun said.

South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party told AFP on yesterday it had submitted a legal complaint against acting president Choi Sang-mok for “dereliction of duty” after he failed to intervene as they requested.

South Korea’s Constitutional Court has slated January 14 for the start of Yoon’s impeachment trial, which would proceed in his absence if he does not attend.

Local media reported that he was likely to appear on the opening day, but Yoon’s lawyer told AFP his appearance was still “undecided”.

The court has up to 180 days to determine whether to dismiss Yoon or restore him as president.

Former presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye never appeared for their impeachment trials in 2004 and 2016-2017 respectively.

Investigators struggled to arrest Yoon because of the sizeable force of guards massed at his home.

His presidential security service refused to budge during a six-hour standoff at his residence on Friday.

Opposition party lawmaker Youn Kun-young told local media Yoon’s residence was “turning into a fortress”, claiming guards were installing barbed wire and vehicle barricades.

Many supporters have also camped outside his residence despite freezing weather. — AFP