SEOUL, South Korea — Legal representatives for Yoon Suk Yeol, the impeached President of South Korea, have condemned the ongoing attempts to detain him following his brief declaration of martial law. Meanwhile, the acting leader raised alarms on Wednesday about a potential conflict between law enforcement and the security detail assigned to the presidency.
Anti-corruption investigators and police are gearing up for a renewed effort to apprehend Yoon after their previous attempt last week did not succeed. To secure his residence, the presidential security service has erected barriers of barbed wire and parked multiple vehicles closely together, creating an obstruction at his home.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, alongside police forces, has stated their intent to intensify efforts to detain Yoon. They warned that if members of the presidential security impede their actions, they could face arrest themselves. The agency has sought Yoon’s detention due to his continued disregard for summons related to whether his actions on December 3 constituted an act of rebellion.
At a press conference, Yoon’s legal team contested the validity of a new detention warrant released by the Seoul Western District Court, claiming that the anti-corruption agency does not hold the legal power to investigate rebellion cases or to instruct police to detain suspects. Yoon Kap-keun, one of the attorneys, urged the agency to either proceed with formal charges against the president or request a legitimate arrest warrant, which would necessitate a court hearing.
Yoon’s lawyer asserted that the president would only respect an arrest warrant issued by the Seoul Central District Court. He accused the anti-corruption agency of purposely targeting the Western District Court, which is seen as more favorable to their case. When probed about the possibility of the president attending a hearing at the Central District Court, he remained non-committal, insisting that security issues must first be resolved.
“Citizens are enduring harsh conditions, and government officials might be facing considerable internal disagreements,” the lawyer noted, referencing ongoing demonstrations by both supporters and detractors of Yoon outside his home. “Consider this a goodwill gesture on our part.”
In response to Yoon’s legal team’s maneuvers, the liberal opposition Democratic Party, which was pivotal in the impeachment proceedings initiated on December 14, has accused the lawyers of attempting to delay justice and has urged the anti-corruption agency to move swiftly on the warrant.
On Friday, around 150 investigators and police officers made an effort to detain Yoon at his residence, but they withdrew after enduring a tense standoff lasting over five hours with the presidential security detail. Since then, authorities have not made a further attempt to apprehend the president.
Law enforcement has stated they are contemplating “all available options” to secure Yoon’s custody and have not dismissed the potential use of specialized squads, though it’s uncertain if they would engage in a confrontation with armed presidential security forces.
During a government gathering on Wednesday, the acting president, Choi Sang-mok, called on officials to avoid any actions that might lead to civilian injuries or physical confrontations between agencies during the detainment attempt.
In a recent parliamentary hearing, Oh Dong-woon, the head prosecutor of the anti-corruption agency, criticized Choi for advising police to adhere to the presidential security’s request for enhanced security measures at Yoon’s residence ahead of the attempted detainment. Although the police did not act on Choi’s advice, Oh indicated that the agency is reviewing whether these instructions obstruct official duties.
Following Yoon’s abrupt martial law declaration and troop deployment around the National Assembly on December 3, legislators who bypassed the blockade acted swiftly to revoke the measure. The opposition-led assembly subsequently suspended Yoon’s presidential powers on December 14 after voting to impeach him, alleging rebellion. The Constitutional Court has commenced discussions on whether to remove Yoon from office permanently or to restore his position.
