SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean investigators have fled impeached President Yoon Seok-yeol’s official residence after a nearly six-hour standoff while he resisted attempts to detain him. This is the latest confrontation amid a political crisis that has paralyzed Korean politics and led to the impeachment of the two leaders in less than a month.
The Anti-Corruption Agency said it withdrew investigators after the Blue House blocked them from entering Prosecutor General Yoon’s home for several hours due to safety concerns. The agency said, “We deeply regret the attitude of the suspect who did not comply with legal procedures.”
Mr. Yoon, a former prosecutor, has resisted investigators’ attempts to question him for weeks. The last time he was known to have left his official residence was on December 12 when he went to the nearby Blue House to address the nation and make defiant remarks about fighting efforts to oust him.
Anti-corruption investigators are weighing charges of mutiny by Yoon, frustrated that his policies were blocked by the opposition-dominated National Assembly, which declared martial law on Dec. 3 and dispatched troops to surround the National Assembly.
The National Assembly unanimously overturned this declaration within hours and impeached Rep. Yoon on charges of insurrection on December 14, and South Korea’s anti-corruption authorities and prosecutors began a separate investigation into the case.
A Seoul court issued an arrest warrant for Yoon on Tuesday, but execution is complicated while he remains at his official residence.
Yoon’s lawyers, who objected to the warrant yesterday, said that the warrant could not be executed due to a law that protects against searches of places possibly related to military secrets without the consent of the person in charge.
The Blue House said it would discuss additional measures, but did not immediately say whether another attempt would be made to arrest Mr. Yoon. His detention warrant is valid for one week.
Yoon’s lawyers also argued that the Corruption Investigation Office, which is leading the joint investigation with the police and military investigative agencies, lacks the authority to investigate the charges of rebellion. Police said they had no legal authority to help detain Yoon and that he could be arrested by “the President’s bodyguard or members of the public.” They did not elaborate further on the claim.
If investigators arrest Mr. Yoon, they are expected to request formal arrest permission from the court. Otherwise he will be released after 48 hours.
Kwon Young-se, chairman of the emergency response committee of the conservative People Power Party led by Rep. Yoon, said, “The prosecution’s efforts to detain Mr. Yoon are very unfair and extremely inappropriate,” adding, “There is no risk of Mr. Yoon running away or attempting to destroy evidence.”
Thousands of police gathered at Yun’s home Friday and formed a perimeter around the growing number of pro-Yun protesters, waving South Korean and American flags and chanting slogans pledging to protect Yun, braving sub-zero temperatures for hours. There were no immediate reports of large-scale clashes outside the residence.
Dozens of investigators and police officers were seen entering the front door of the Seoul home to execute the arrest warrant for Mr. Yoon, but the dramatic scene soon developed into a standoff. Two lawyers, Yoon Gap-geun and Kim Hong-il, were seen entering the main gate of the Blue House around noon. It was not immediately clear what discussions the lawyers had with the president.
Attorney Seok Dong-hyeon, another lawyer on Yoon’s legal team, said the agency’s efforts to detain Yoon were “reckless” and showed “an outrageous act of disregard for the law.”
The Ministry of Defense confirmed that investigators and police arrived at the building after passing military units guarding the premises. The Presidential Guard, which controls the residence itself, declined to comment. South Korea’s YTN TV reported that investigators and police scuffled during a confrontation with the Presidential Guard.
As the standoff progressed, the progressive opposition Democratic Party urged Acting Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok to order the bodyguards to resign. Choi had no immediate comment on the situation.
Democratic Party lawmaker Cho Seung-rae said, “Do not drag the Blue House security office and public officials into the swamp of crime.” Representative Cho said, “You must keep in mind that it is your responsibility to quickly suppress the rebellion and prevent further chaos.”
Yoon’s defense minister, police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested for their roles during martial law.
After the National Assembly passed the impeachment bill against President Yoon on December 14, President Yoon’s authority was suspended. Now, President Yoon’s fate depends on the Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Court acknowledged the impeachment motion and began deliberating whether to formally dismiss and reinstate President Yoon. At least six of the nine judges of the Constitutional Court must vote in favor of his dismissal.
The National Assembly passed a bill of impeachment last week on the grounds that Prime Minister Han Deok-soo, who became acting president after former Prime Minister Yoon’s suspension, was reluctant to fill three vacancies at the Constitutional Court ahead of the trial in the former Prime Minister Yoon’s case.
Facing growing pressure, new acting President Choi appointed two new judges on Tuesday, which could increase the chances that the court will uphold Yoon’s impeachment.
