8th January 2025 – (Seoul) South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing a renewed and potentially more forceful attempt to arrest him on insurrection charges, following a commitment from a leading investigator to overcome security barriers surrounding the presidential compound. This comes after a court re-issued an arrest warrant for Yoon on 7th January.
On Wednesday, January 8, supporters and opponents of the embattled president braved freezing temperatures to rally outside the compound, highlighting the divided public sentiment. In response to the escalating tensions, the Presidential Security Service (PSS) reinforced the compound with barricades and barbed wire, using buses to block access to the hillside villa where Yoon is believed to be staying, having ignored summons for questioning.
Yoon is under criminal investigation for insurrection related to his controversial bid for martial law on 3rd December, which shocked the nation and resulted in the first-ever arrest warrant issued for a sitting South Korean president. Additionally, he is embroiled in a separate trial at the Constitutional Court regarding his impeachment on 14th December for failing to uphold his constitutional duties during the late-night martial law declaration.
Oh Dong-woon, the head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which is leading the investigation, expressed regret over a failed arrest attempt last Friday that resulted in a tense six-hour standoff at the presidential compound. The attempt was called off when hundreds of PSS members and military guards formed a human chain, preventing entry.
“We are determined to thoroughly prepare this time, ensuring that the execution of the second warrant will be the last,” Oh stated during a parliamentary committee meeting, without clarifying how long the new warrant would remain active.
Local media have reported various strategies being considered, including the deployment of police special tactical units and heavy equipment to breach the barricades, followed by the mobilisation of over 2,000 police officers to extract presidential guards if necessary, potentially taking up to three days.
In the earlier arrest attempt, the CIO and police forces were outnumbered by more than 200 PSS personnel, some armed, along with troops assigned to presidential security. Altercations reportedly occurred between the two groups, illustrating the challenges faced by investigators in their pursuit of Yoon.
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