South Korean military unit blocks police from arresting impeached president – Yonhap

Officers from South Korea’s Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) attempted to execute an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol early Friday but were blocked by military personnel serving under the Presidential Security Service (PSS), according to Yonhap News Agency.

The incident unfolded at Yoon's residence, where the military unit presumed to be from the 55th Security Brigade has allegedly been deployed to block the warrant against Yoon, escalating tensions surrounding this unprecedented action against a sitting president, Yonhap wrote on Friday.

Thousands of Yoon's supporters gathered near his home, complicating the arrest attempts. On Thursday, about 30 protesters were forcibly removed after breaking through a police barrier and clashing with officers, as reported by Yonhap.

A Seoul court issued the warrant against Yoon on Tuesday, charging him with masterminding the December 3 martial law declaration, orchestrating an insurrection, and abusing power. The CIO received the warrant after Yoon ignored three summons to appear for questioning regarding these charges.

“We have begun executing a detention warrant for President Yoon,” the CIO stated to the press outside the president's residence earlier on Friday when authorities attempted to arrest the impeached leader again.

Yoon has vowed to “fight to the end to protect this country” in a message to his supporters earlier this week.

Yoon's lawyer claimed that if police tried to carry out the arrest warrant on behalf of the CIO, the PSS would have the authority to arrest them for abuse of power and obstruction, according to Yonhap. The impeached president’s legal team has filed for an injunction against the warrant, calling it “illegal,” the newspaper reported.

Police warned that if the PSS or Yoon’s supporters attempt to prevent CIO officials from executing the arrest, they would face detention on obstruction charges.

While Yoon has presidential immunity, it does not extend to charges of insurrection or treason. He declared martial law on December 3 and sent troops into the South Korean Parliament. Videos from that night showed masked, armed, and armored soldiers facing off against lawmakers who opposed them with fire extinguishers as parliament prepared to vote on a measure to legally resist the president's orders.

South Korean lawmakers overturned the martial law by parliamentary vote within six hours of its imposition. Yoon was subsequently suspended from his duties following an impeachment vote on December 14.

Last week, interim President Han Duck-soo, who assumed office after Yoon's suspension, was also impeached for refusing to appoint justices to the Constitutional Court. This appointment is necessary to finalize Yoon's impeachment process. South Korean Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok stepped in as the country’s interim president last Friday.