South Korean investigators have called off an attempt to arrest ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol after a six-hour standoff with security forces outside his home.
“We found that an arrest would not be possible,” said the Corruption Investigations Office (CIO), which is investigating Yoon’s declaration of temporary martial law.
“Next steps will be decided after the review,” the CIO said, adding that Yoon’s “refusal of the legal process” was “deeply regrettable”.
Yoon’s supporters who have been camping in front of the president’s house for days were happy with song and dance as his suspension was announced. “We won!” they sang.
The CIO said concern for the team’s safety on the ground was another factor in their decision to call off the arrest attempt.
Investigators have until January 6 to arrest Yoon before the current warrant expires. However, they can apply for a new warrant and try to arrest him again.
Since morning, dozens of police vans have lined the street outside Yoon’s house in central Seoul.
At around 08:00 local time (23:00 GMT), an arrest team made up of police and CIO members marched towards the compound.
This started with a group of 20 people, but quickly multiplied to around 150 people.
Although about half of the arrested team managed to get inside, they were locked up for hours in a tussle with security officials – who are still responsible for protecting Yoon, even though he has been stripped of his powers – and the military unit responsible for protecting the city. in Seoul.
At one point the security team clashed with “the CIO of the president’s residence”, an official with the Joint Chiefs of Staff told AFP.
Before the attempt was called off, Yoon’s security team told the media that they were “negotiating” with investigators seeking access to the president.
Yoon’s legal team was also seen entering the residence late in the afternoon.
His lawyer Yoon Gab-keun earlier said they would take legal action against the arrest warrant, which they called “illegal and illegal”.
A Seoul court issued an arrest warrant earlier this week, after Yoon ignored three summonses to appear for questioning over the past two days.
On Friday, prosecutors also charged treason against Park An-su, who was appointed army chief in a brief announcement last month, and special forces commander Kwak Jong-geun, according to Seoul-based Yonhap newspaper.
They must face the crime in prison.
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