South Korean Investigators Fail to Arrest President Yoon After Standoff With Guards

Police officers stand guard as Yoon supporters gather outside of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's official residence, in Seoul, South Korea, on Jan. 2, 2025. Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters

South Korean presidential guards prevented investigators from detaining suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday after an hours-long standoff at the presidential residence.

Yoon is under investigation for insurrection following his short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3. The warrant to detain Yoon was issued after he failed to comply with all three summonses for questioning.

Police said on Jan. 3 that investigators moved past a military unit barricading Yoon’s residence only to face resistance from the Presidential Security Service (PSS) inside, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Some 120 police officers and 30 investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) were deployed to execute the warrant for Yoon’s detention and to search his residence.

The CIO has until Jan. 6 to execute the detention warrant for Yoon.

If detained for questioning, the CIO would have up to 48 hours to seek a formal arrest warrant or release him.

PSS chief Park Chong-jun denied their entry, citing “restrictions on secured areas,” despite having presented the warrant, according to the report.

The attempt to detain Yoon was halted after a five-hour standoff. The CIO expressed “serious regret” over Yoon’s refusal to comply with legal procedures and said it would decide on the next steps after a review.

“We determined that executing the detention warrant would be practically impossible due to the continued confrontation, and suspended the execution out of concern for the safety of on-site personnel caused by the resistance,” the CIO told the news outlet.

Investigators also encountered resistance from thousands of Yoon’s supporters who rallied outside the residence to prevent his detention. Police said those obstructing the execution of the warrant would be apprehended.

His lawyer, Yun Gap-geun, said the warrant was invalid. Yoon’s legal team has filed an injunction with the Constitutional Court and submitted a separate objection with the Seoul Western District Court to challenge the execution of the warrant.

“As procedures for objections to the warrant are underway at the Constitutional Court and the court, (we) will take legal action over the unlawful situation of the illegal warrant execution,” Yun told YNA.

Insurrection is one of the few charges for which a South Korean president does not have immunity, and if found guilty, Yoon could face the death penalty or life imprisonment.

Yoon, who was previously South Korea’s chief prosecutor, has been suspended from official duties after the opposition-led National Assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo then assumed the role of acting president, only to be impeached two weeks later for failing to appoint three justices to fill vacancies at the Constitutional Court.

The deputy primer minister and finance minister, Choi Sang-mok, has stepped in as acting president.

Yoon Vows to Fight

Yoon has defended his declaration of martial law, saying it was meant to protect the country’s democracy and serve as a warning to opposition parties, which he accused of sympathizing with North Korea and paralyzing state affairs by impeaching top officials.

In a Jan. 1 letter to his supporters, Yoon promised to “fight until the end” and praised his supporters for their efforts to protect the “liberal democracy and constitutional order” of South Korea.

The surprise declaration of martial law late on Dec. 3 led to a standoff with lawmakers, who rejected Yoon’s attempt to impose a ban on political activity and censor independent media and publications.

Some 280 troops were reportedly deployed following the decree to secure the National Assembly Building in Seoul. Yoon rescinded the decree six hours after the National Assembly unanimously passed a motion to lift it.

It will be up to the Constitutional Court—the highest court in South Korea—to determine whether Yoon should be permanently excluded as president, or reinstated.

If it decides on the former course, a new presidential election will have to be called.

Chris Summers and Reuters contributed to this report.