South Korea: Investigators halt execution of warrant to detain impeached Prez Yoon after standoff at presidential residence

Seoul, Jan 3 (IANS) South Korea's anti-corruption agency suspended its attempt to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law bid Friday following an hours long standoff between investigators and presidential security staff.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) said it halted execution of the warrant at 1:30 pm, about five-and-a-half hours after its investigators arrived at the presidential residence to detain Yoon, Yonhap news agency reported.

"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 said in a notice to the press. "We plan to decide on the next steps following a review.

"We express serious regret over the behavior of the suspect who refused to comply with legally set procedures," it added.

A CIO official later told reporters investigators got within 200 meters of the residence building but were deterred from getting any closer.

"More than 10 buses or cars were blocking the way and some 200 people with the Presidential Security Service (PSS) or military were forming layers of walls, making it impossible to get past," the official said, noting the team executing the warrant comprised 20 people from the CIO and 80 police personnel. "I understand there were scuffles big and small at each stage."

The official said three prosecutors were allowed to walk up to the front of the residence, but not inside, making it difficult to determine whether the president was at home.

The prosecutors did, however, meet with two lawyers for Yoon -- Yun Gap-geun and Kim Hong-il -- who the official said repeated their position that the president could not comply with a warrant issued "illegally" to an agency unauthorised to investigate insurrection charges.

The CIO has until Monday to execute the detention warrant on charges of insurrection and abuse of power linked to Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3.

Rallies by Yoon's supporters outside the presidential residence, however, have complicated the CIO's effort, along with the potential for clashes with the PSS.

More than 1,000 pro-Yoon protesters gathered near the residence on Friday morning. Surrounded by some 2,700 police officers deployed to maintain order, they chanted: "Illegal warrant. Completely invalid" and "Arrest the CIO."

When news broke about the CIO's withdrawal, the protesters, whose number had grown to 11,000 according to a police estimate, erupted in cheers and shouted "We won" while waving the South Korean and US flags and chanting the president's name.

Anti-Yoon protesters led by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, meanwhile, vowed to stage an overnight rally near the residence to demand Yoon's arrest.

The CIO had been expected to try to detain Yoon on Friday as executing the warrant on Saturday or Sunday could risk confronting even larger crowds, while executing it Monday would be too close to the deadline.

The CIO has teamed up with the police and the defense ministry's investigation unit to conduct a joint probe into Yoon's failed martial law bid.

During Friday's attempted arrest, the investigators presented their court-issued warrants to detain Yoon and search the presidential residence, but were denied entry by PSS chief Park Chong-jun, who cited restrictions on secured areas.

Before confronting the PSS, the investigators had also been resisted by a military unit stationed on the compound.

The CIO requested the detention warrant after Yoon ignored all three summonses to appear for questioning. The agency also obtained a warrant to search the presidential residence.

Yoon's legal defence team has called the warrants "illegal and invalid" and filed for an injunction against their execution.

On Friday, Yun told Yonhap News Agency "legal action" will be sought against the CIO's attempt.

Police had said anyone trying to stop the CIO from executing the detention warrant would be taken into custody on charges of obstruction of official duties. No one was detained on such charges Friday, a police official said.

The joint investigation team later revealed PSS chief Park and his deputy were booked on suspicion of obstructing special official duties and requested to appear for questioning Saturday.

Investigators had planned to arrest Yoon and take him to the CIO's headquarters in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, for questioning before detaining him at the Seoul Detention Center in nearby Uiwang.

Once detained, the CIO would have had 48 hours to either seek another warrant for his formal arrest or release him.