South Korea halts attempt to arrest impeached President Yoon

SEOUL: South Korean authorities suspended their attempt to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday following a tense standoff with his security team.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) announced that efforts to detain Yoon were paused after the Presidential Security Service (PSS) blocked investigators from entering his residence.

“In light of the ongoing standoff and concerns for the safety of personnel, it was deemed impossible to execute the arrest warrant at this time,” the CIO said in a statement.

Investigators arrived early Friday to arrest Yoon as part of an inquiry into alleged insurrection and abuse of power. The charges stem from his brief declaration of martial law on December 3, which triggered South Korea’s most significant political crisis in decades.

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However, PSS chief Park Jong-joon refused to allow entry to Yoon’s residence, citing national security concerns and the possibility of classified military information at the site, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Speculation over Yoon’s arrest has grown since a Seoul court approved an arrest warrant earlier this week. His security team has previously blocked investigators from executing search warrants at his properties.

If detained, Yoon would make history as the first sitting president in South Korea to be arrested.