South Korea’s anti-corruption agency, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), suspended its attempt to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday after a standoff with the Presidential Security Service (PSS) at the presidential residence. The agency announced that the operation was halted at 1:30 p.m., about five hours after investigators arrived, citing the safety risks posed by resistance from security personnel.

In a press release, the CIO expressed regret over Yoon’s refusal to comply with legal procedures, describing the resistance as a hindrance to justice. The agency stated that it would review the situation before deciding on further action. The confrontation came after investigators presented court-issued warrants to arrest Yoon and search his residence, but they were blocked by PSS chief Park Chong-jun, who cited restrictions on access to secured areas.

Earlier in the day, over 1,000 pro-Yoon protesters gathered near the residence, shouting slogans like "Illegal warrant! Completely invalid!" and "Arrest the CIO." To maintain order, around 2,700 police officers were deployed. Yoon’s legal team called the warrants “illegal and invalid” and filed an injunction to prevent their execution.

The CIO pursued the detention warrant after Yoon failed to respond to three summonses for questioning. Investigators had planned to take Yoon to the CIO’s headquarters in Gwacheon for interrogation before detaining him at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang. However, the operation was ultimately suspended due to the standoff.

The detention attempt followed Yoon’s impeachment by the National Assembly on December 14 for his attempt to impose martial law. In the secret ballot, 204 lawmakers voted in favor of impeachment, 85 opposed it, and three abstained. Eight votes were declared invalid. The impeachment required a two-thirds majority in the 300-member assembly, all of whom participated in the vote. Following the decision, Yoon was suspended from office.

The standoff and protests highlight the polarized political climate in South Korea as the country grapples with the fallout from Yoon’s impeachment and his controversial actions in office.

Sources:

• Yonhap News Agency
• ANI