Investigators attempt to arrest South Korean president

South Korean investigators attempted to detain impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol for issuing a brief martial law decree last month. Meanwhile, hundreds of supporters gathered near his Seoul residence, vowing to protect him. Approximately 20 investigators and police from the Senior Officials Corruption Investigation Office entered the gates of Yoon's Seoul residence to execute the detention order.

It remains unclear whether the president will cooperate with authorities attempting to detain him. In a New Year’s address to conservative supporters gathered outside his residence, Yoon stated he would “fight to the end” against “anti-state forces.” His lawyers, meanwhile, called the warrant for his detention “invalid” and “illegal.” The anti-corruption agency has not immediately confirmed if investigators successfully entered Yoon's residential building.

South Korean broadcaster YTN reported that investigators and police clashed with the president's security forces. Earlier, investigators from the anti-corruption agency were seen loading boxes into several vehicles before leaving their office in Gwacheon City in the early morning. Television footage later showed some of those vehicles weaving between police buses that were tightly lined up and blocked streets near Yoon’s residence.

A Seoul court issued the detention order for Yoon on Tuesday after he repeatedly evaded summons for questioning and blocked searches of his Seoul offices, hindering an investigation into whether his ill-advised December 3 power grab constituted an act of rebellion. The warrant is valid for one week, and if investigators fail to detain Yoon today, they may attempt to detain him again. Thousands of police officers gathered at Yoon's residence and formed cordons around a growing number of pro-Yoon protesters, who waved South Korean flags and chanted slogans in support of him. There were no immediate reports of clashes.

If Yoon is detained, the anti-corruption agency will have 48 hours to investigate him and request a formal warrant for his arrest or release him. Yoon's defense minister, police chief, and several senior military commanders have already been arrested for their roles in the martial law decree. Yoon’s lawyers argued that the court’s detention order was invalid, claiming the anti-corruption agency lacks the legal authority to investigate allegations of rebellion. They also accused the court of circumventing a law that states locations potentially related to military secrets cannot be seized or searched without the consent of the person in charge.

One of Yoon’s lawyers, Yoon Gap-geun, described investigators' efforts to detain the president as illegal and said they plan to take unspecified legal action against the anti-corruption agency. Chief prosecutor Oh Dong-woon of the anti-corruption agency said police forces could be deployed if the president's security detail resists detention. But Yoon’s legal team issued a statement on Thursday warning that any attempt by the anti-corruption agency to use police forces to detain him would exceed its legal authority. Lawyers said if police attempt to detain Yoon, “the president’s security detail or any citizen” could arrest them. They did not elaborate further on this claim.

South Korean law allows any citizen to make an arrest to stop an ongoing crime, and critics have accused Yoon of inciting his supporters to obstruct attempts to detain him. President's lawyer Yoon Gap-geun filed a challenge with the Seoul Western District Court on Thursday to block the detention order against Yoon and a related search warrant for his residence. The lawyer argued that both warrants violate criminal law and the constitution. The liberal opposition Democratic Party, which pushed through the December 14 legislative vote to impeach Yoon for imposing martial law, has accused the president of attempting to mobilize his supporters to prevent his detention and has called for law enforcement to immediately execute the arrest warrant.

Despite the cold weather, thousands of Yoon's supporters rallied for hours near his residence on Thursday under heavy police guard, waving South Korean and American flags while chanting, “Cancel the impeachment!” and “We will protect President Yoon!” Police removed some protesters who were lying in the road leading to the entrance of Yoon’s residence, but there were no immediate reports of major clashes. Some experts believe the anti-corruption agency, which is conducting a joint investigation with police and military authorities, would not risk a confrontation with the president’s security detail, which has stated it will provide security for Yoon in accordance with the law. If they fail to execute the detention order by the January 6 deadline, the office may summon Yoon for questioning again.

Yoon's presidential powers were suspended after the National Assembly voted to impeach him on December 14 for imposing martial law, which lasted only hours but triggered weeks of political turmoil, suspended high-level diplomacy, and rattled financial markets. Yoon’s fate now rests with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberations on whether to uphold the impeachment and formally remove Yoon from office or reinstate him. At least six of the nine Constitutional Court judges must vote in favor to formally end Yoon’s presidency. The National Assembly also voted last week to impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who became acting president after Yoon's powers were suspended, for his unwillingness to fill three vacancies on the Constitutional Court before the court reviews Yoon's case.

Facing mounting pressure, new acting President and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok appointed two new judges on Tuesday, potentially increasing the likelihood that the court will uphold Yoon’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law, which lasted only six hours, was lifted after the National Assembly voted 190-0 to do so, despite attempts by fully armed soldiers to prevent them from voting. Yoon has defended his martial law decree as a necessary act of governance, describing it as a temporary warning to the Democratic Party, which he has described as an “anti-state” force that is obstructing his agenda with its legislative majority.