CIO investigators entered the presidential palace in Seoul today, January 3, to execute an arrest warrant for impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol over the declaration of martial law, but were unsuccessful.
South Korea's state anti-corruption agency has suspended its attempt to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol, following an hours-long standoff on December 3 between investigators and presidential security agents.
According to Yonhap news agency, the Corruption Investigation Office for Senior Officials (CIO) said it stopped executing the arrest warrant at 1:30 a.m. (local time), about five hours after CIO investigators arrived at the presidential palace to arrest Mr. Yoon.
Did the military prevent investigators from arresting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol?
"We determined that it would be nearly impossible to execute the warrant due to the continued standoff, and have suspended execution of the warrant out of concern for the safety of our on-site personnel due to the resistance," the CIO said in a statement to the press. The CIO said it is planning to decide on its next steps.
The CIO also stated: "We find it extremely regrettable that the suspect's behavior was in refusing to comply with the procedures prescribed by law."
Police and investigators leave the residence of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on January 3, 2025.
According to Reuters, members of the CIO, the unit leading the joint investigation team into President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024, arrived at the gate of the presidential residence shortly after 7 a.m. this morning, January 3 (Korean time) and walked inside.
Upon entering the presidential residence, CIO investigators and accompanying police were confronted by a cordon of Presidential Security Service (PSS) personnel, as well as soldiers deployed to protect the president, Reuters reported, citing South Korean media. The South Korean Defense Ministry said the soldiers were under the control of the PSS.
In a statement released today, Mr. Yoon's lawyers argued that the arrest warrant for Mr. Yoon was illegal and said they would take legal action.
The arrest warrant was approved by a court on December 31, 2024, after Mr. Yoon ignored multiple summonses for questioning. However, the warrant is only valid until January 6 and only gives investigators 48 hours to detain Mr. Yoon after his arrest. After that, investigators must decide whether to request a detention warrant or release him, according to Reuters.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dung-thuc-thi-lenh-bat-tong-thong-han-quoc-bi-luan-toi-yoon-suk-yeol-185250103130123879.htm
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