With the arrest warrant for impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol expiring on Monday, the nation’s anti-corruption company has requested police to step in detain the embattled chief, in response to Yonhap information company.
The Corruption Investigation Workplace for Excessive-ranking Officers reportedly made the request to police on Sunday.
“The CIO despatched us an official letter requesting our cooperation with out prior consultations,” a police official informed the South Korean publication. “We’re internally finishing up a authorized evaluate.”
The request comes after investigators deserted an hours-long effort to detain Yoon at his residence in Seoul on Friday.
Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally to oppose a court docket having issued a warrant to detain Yoon, as police places of work stand guard close to the presidential residence in Seoul, Jan. 3, 2025.
Lee Jin-Man/AP
Police automobiles and crowds of the impeached president’s backers had been seen exterior his dwelling within the South Korean capital over the weekend. Pictures confirmed protesters mendacity down in entrance of police in an try to dam authorities from the residence.
ABC Information confirmed that anti-corruption authorities entered the gate on Yoon’s property, after which a standoff ensued between his safety staff and police investigators. There have been 3,000 law enforcement officials on the scene.
Nonetheless, investigators ultimately deserted their effort some 5 hours after arriving.
Professional-Yoon Suk Yeol supporters collect exterior the official residence of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Jan. 2, 2025, in Seoul.
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Pictures
“We decided that executing the detention warrant can be virtually inconceivable because of the continued confrontation and suspended the execution out of concern for the protection of on-site personnel attributable to the resistance,” the Corruption Investigation Workplace for Excessive-ranking Officers mentioned in an announcement, quoted by Yonhap information company.
“We plan to determine on the subsequent steps following a evaluate,” the CIO mentioned. “We categorical critical remorse over the habits of the suspect who refused to adjust to legally set procedures,” it added.
The hassle to detain Yoon got here after a South Korean court docket issued an arrest and search warrant on Dec. 31 over his short-lived imposition of martial legislation, ABC Information confirmed. Yoon has been suspended from his place since Dec. 14.
Supporters of impeached South Korea president Yoon Suk Yeol participate in a rally close to his residence as snow falls in Seoul on Jan. 5, 2025.
Philip Fong/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
Yoon declared martial legislation in a televised speech on Dec. 3. The president mentioned the measure was essential because of the actions of the nation’s liberal opposition, the Democratic Occasion, which he accused of controlling parliament, sympathizing with North Korea and paralyzing the federal government.
Below South Korea’s structure, if a sitting president is accused of rebel, the police have the authority to arrest him whereas he’s nonetheless in workplace.
A joint investigation staff sought the warrant on rebel and abuse of energy prices after they mentioned Yoon ignored three summonses to seem for questioning.
The court docket’s choice to grant the warrant marks the primary for a president within the nation’s historical past.
ABC Information’ Joohee Cho and Will Gretsky contributed to this report.
