South Korean police take charge to detain impeached President Yoon
Published on 06/01/2025
Dozens of anti-corruption agency investigators and assisting police officers attempted to detain the impeached president on Friday but retreated from his residence in Seoul after a tense five-hour standoff with the presidential security service.
South Korea's anti-corruption agency has requested that police take over efforts to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol after its investigators failed to bring him into custody following a standoff with the presidential security service last week.
The agency and police confirmed the discussion on Monday, hours before the one-week warrant for Yoon's detention was to expire.
The Seoul Western District Court issued a warrant to detain Yoon last Tuesday, in addition to a separate warrant to search his residence after the embattled president defied authorities by refusing to appear for questioning over his short-lived martial law decree on 3 December.
But executing those warrants is complicated as long as Yoon remains in his official residence.
Yoon has described his power grab as a necessary act of governance against a liberal opposition bogging down his agenda with its legislative majority and has vowed to "fight to the end" against efforts to oust him.
While martial law lasted only several hours, it set off turmoil that has shaken the country’s politics, diplomacy and financial markets for weeks and exposed the fragility of South Korea's democracy with a highly polarised society.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials will likely seek a new court warrant to extend the window for Yoon's detention, according to police, which said it was internally reviewing the agency's request.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the anti-corruption agency will make another attempt to detain Yoon on Monday before the deadline expires at midnight.