South Korean investigators withdrew from the residence of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol after a tense six-hour standoff during which Yoon defied their attempt to detain him.
The standoff is the latest episode in a political crisis which has seen the impeachment of two heads of state in less than a month.
The country’s anti-corruption agency stated it pulled back its investigators after the presidential security service barred entry over safety concerns. “We express serious regret about the attitude of the suspect, who did not respond to a lawful process,” the agency said in a statement.
Yoon, a former prosecutor, has resisted investigators’ efforts to question him for weeks. His last public appearance was on December 12, when he delivered a televised address from the presidential office, vowing to fight impeachment efforts. Investigators accuse Yoon of declaring martial law on December 3, deploying troops to surround the National Assembly after clashing with an opposition-dominated parliament that blocked his policies. The National Assembly swiftly overturned the declaration and impeached Yoon on December 14, accusing him of rebellion.
A Seoul court issued a detention warrant for Yoon on Tuesday, but enforcing it has proven difficult while he remains at the presidential residence. Yoon’s lawyers filed a challenge to the warrant, arguing that a law protecting locations tied to military secrets prevents searches without consent from the person in charge.
Yoon’s legal team also contested the anti-corruption agency’s authority to investigate rebellion charges and claimed police lacked the jurisdiction to assist in his detention. They warned officers could face arrest by either the presidential security service or “any citizens,” though they did not elaborate.
The warrant is valid for one week, leaving investigators with a limited window to act. If detained, Yoon could face formal arrest, though he must be released after 48 hours if no charges are brought.
Yoon’s presidential powers have been suspended since his impeachment, and his fate now lies with the Constitutional Court. At least six of the court’s nine justices must vote to uphold the impeachment for Yoon to be removed from office.
The crisis deepened last week when the National Assembly impeached Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who had been acting president since Yoon’s suspension, for failing to fill three court vacancies ahead of the impeachment review. Facing mounting pressure, new acting President Choi appointed two justices on Tuesday, potentially increasing the likelihood of the court upholding Yoon’s impeachment.
Meanwhile, Yoon’s defense minister, police chief, and several top military commanders have already been arrested over their roles in the martial law declaration.
