South Korean Investigators Enter President's Residence To Detain Impeached Yoon

SEOUL, Jan 3 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- South Korean investigators from the state anti-corruption agency entered the presidential residence on Friday to execute a warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed bid to impose martial law last month, Yonhap News Agency reported.

"We have begun executing a detention warrant for President Yoon," the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) said in a notice to the press.

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 Dec. 3.

Rallies by Yoon's supporters outside the presidential residence, however, have complicated the CIO's efforts, along with the potential for clashes with the Presidential Security Service.

Thousands of supporters have gathered near the residence in recent days to oppose Yoon's impeachment and obstruct his arrest. Some have been forcibly dispersed by the police and carried away by their limbs.

Observers said 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 collaborated with the police and the Defence Ministry's investigation unit to conduct a joint probe into Yoon's failed martial law bid.

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

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

In the event that the Presidential Security Service or Yoon's supporters attempt to prevent the CIO from executing the detention arrest, police have said that they will take those involved into custody on charges of obstructing official duties.

If Yoon is arrested, investigators plan to transport him to the CIO's headquarters in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, for questioning before detaining him at the Seoul Detention Centre in nearby Uiwang.

Once detained, the CIO will have 48 hours to either seek an additional warrant for his formal arrest or release him.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP