South Korea faces another wave of political turmoil as an attempt by the police and officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was thwarted by his supporters and a force of 200 presidential guards.
The controversy stems from events on December 3, 2024, when Yoon declared martial law, citing a need to purge “anti-state forces” and resolve political gridlock. The declaration was met with swift opposition as 190 lawmakers unanimously voted to lift the martial law. This led to Yoon’s impeachment and suspension from office on December 14, 2024.
Two high-ranking military officials, Army Chief Park An-su and former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, are currently detained for their roles in supporting Yoon’s martial law declaration. However, Yoon himself remains at his residence, disregarding multiple summons to appear for questioning. The situation escalated after a court approved his arrest warrant on Tuesday, triggering the current standoff.
Before dawn, hundreds of Yoon’s supporters gathered outside his residence, vowing to protect him. At around 7 AM local time, officials from the CIO arrived and bypassed the protesters before entering the presidential compound. Once inside, they were blocked by 200 personnel from the Presidential Security Service (PSS) and military troops, who formed several layers of human chains to prevent further access.
After a prolonged standoff, the CIO eventually called off the arrest attempt at 1:30 PM local time, citing concerns for the safety of their officials. However, the CIO still has time, as the current warrant remains valid until January 6. According to a Yonhap News report, the CIO has now identified the PSS chief and deputy as suspects for obstructing official duties and has summoned them for questioning.
As for Yoon, his legal team has argued that the CIO lacks jurisdiction over matters related to insurrection, labeling the arrest attempt as an “illegal and invalid arrest.” Bae Jin-han, one of Yoon’s lawyers, stated that Yoon may not attend the first oral arguments scheduled for January 14 but suggested that he might appear at subsequent hearings.
