Seoul. South Korea’s anti-corruption agency said it has received a new warrant from the court to detain President Yoon Suk Yeol, who lost his power through impeachment. The ‘Presidential Security Service’ had foiled the agency’s attempt to detain Yoon last week. The Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which deals with high-ranking officials, did not immediately confirm on Tuesday how long the warrant would remain valid. The CIO plans to question Yoon over allegations of rebellion such as the President’s December 3 issuance of a short-term martial law order.
Asked by lawmakers when the warrants would expire, the agency’s chief prosecutor Oh Dong-woon declined to answer. He said such information is sensitive as the agency and police are considering ways to execute the warrant. Detention warrants are usually for seven days but can be extended for up to 10 days. The Seoul Western District Court earlier last week issued a warrant to detain Yoon and a separate warrant to search his residence as he appeared for questioning over the December 3 ‘martial law’ order. Had disobeyed the orders of the officers by refusing to be there.
About 150 investigators from the anti-corruption agency and auxiliary police officers attempted to detain Yoon on Friday, but were released from his residence in Seoul after a tense standoff that lasted more than five hours with the Presidential Security Service. Went away. Investigators made no further attempts to detain Yoon before the previous warrant expired on Monday. The anti-corruption agency and police have pledged to use more force to detain Yoon. However, this may be a complicated process as long as he (Yoon) remains in his official residence.
The anti-corruption agency, which is leading a joint investigation with police and the military, is investigating Yoon over allegations of insurrection in which he declared martial law and dispatched troops to surround the parliament. Lawmakers who managed to break through the blockade voted against martial law issued by Yun a few hours later. Yun’s presidential powers were suspended after Parliament voted to impeach him on December 14. The Constitutional Court has begun deliberations on whether to formally remove Yun from office or reinstate him.
If investigators succeed in detaining Yoon, they will approach the court for permission to make a formal arrest otherwise he will be released after 48 hours. Oh told lawmakers that the agency was discussing with police whether to arrest Yoon if members of the Presidential Security Service forcefully obstructed efforts to detain him. Police have said they are considering all available options to detain Yoon and have not publicly ruled out deploying a SWAT team. Park Jong-joon, head of the Presidential Security Service, has responded to criticism that it has become Yun’s personal army. He said that it is his legal responsibility to protect the sitting President. Yoon’s lawyers argued that the detention and search warrant against the President could not be served at his residence.
