Riot cops have abandoned their unprecedented attempt to arrest South Korea’s president after a six-hour stand-off with his personal bodyguards.
Presidential guards (PSS), military troops and supporters loyal to Yoon Suk Yeol formed a blockade around his compound to prevent corruption investigators and police from reaching him.
Yoon is wanted on charges of abusing his power and insurrection after being sacked by South Korea’s parliament last month over his failed attempt to impose martial law.
A warrant for his arrest was granted on Tuesday after Yoon ignored multiple summons for questioning and is valid until January 6.
The Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) said: “It was judged that it was virtually impossible to execute the arrest warrant due to the ongoing standoff.”
The CIO and police turned up to Yoon’s residence at around 7am local time but encountered a crowd of supporters who had surrounded it before dawn.
The Yoon loyalists vowed to block the arrest “with our lives” and some chanted “President Yoon Suk Yeol will be protected by the people.”
The forces managed to enter the compound on foot, but then encountered a 200-strong human shield of Presidential Security Service (PSS) guards and soldiers.
An official said the defending forces formed several layers of human chains to block access to the president.
There were some scuffles but the PSS seemed to be unarmed and no weapons were involved in the standoff.
Yoon was not spotted during the attempted arrest.
The CIO abandoned the arrest at around 1:30pm due to concerns over the safety of its enforcers.
The unit said it “deeply regretted” Yoon’s refusal to comply and would consider its next steps.
It announced that the chief and deputy of the PSS bodyguards are now under investigation for obstruction of official duty and summoned them for questioning on Saturday.
After the failed arrest, Yoon’s legal team blasted the CIO’s attempt to “forcibly execute an illegal and invalid arrest and search warrant” in a sensitive security area.
South Korea‘s parliament has been carrying out an investigation into the power grab since it happened on December 3.
Yoon is alleged to have told a defence commander to “break down the doors [of the parliament], even if it means shooting.”
The president declared martial law in a late-night TV address that seemed to come out of nowhere.
But the martial law decree was only in place for six hours as Yoon buckled to public pressure and mass protests that quickly formed.
Elite special forces soldiers armed with high powered rifles had already stormed the parliament and were given permission to shoot.
Seoul residents turned up to the parliament and protested – forming a human shield against the heavily armed troops.
Brave MPs and staffers battled the soldiers with fires extinguishers and built barricades from office furniture.
Within hours, 190 lawmakers had defied the cordons of troops and police to vote against Yoon’s order.
He told South Koreans he needed to free the country from North Korean forces trying to “paralyse the essential functions of the state”.
Analysts described Yoon’s decision as a “last ditch attempt” by a “lame duck president” to push his agenda through.
He was then impeached on December 14 in an overwhelming vote that also saw members of his own party vote for it.
Despite being impeached, Yoon declared he would “not give up” and called for officials to maintain government stability.
South Korea is in completely unchartered territory.
This is the first time a sitting president has ever faced arrest, so there is no precedent for the situation.
When Yoon was impeached three weeks ago, he was technically stripped from power – but that parliamentary process assumes the president will step down willingly.
The fact that he has refused the impeachment order leaves it unclear where the power lies.
The main opposition party has said that in future police should arrest anyone who stands in their way.
The situation is complicated by the fact that Yoon still has a group of fiercely loyal supporters, which maintains some legitimacy for his presidency.
The arrest warrant for the president is valid until January 6, so the authorities can keep trying to arrest Yoon until then.
