South Korea’s anti-corruption agency has handed over the task of arresting impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol to the police, following unsuccessful attempts to detain him last week. The move comes as the one-week detention warrant for Yoon is set to expire at midnight on Monday.
Both the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) and the police confirmed the request on Monday, just hours before the warrant’s deadline. The police are currently reviewing the request internally, and the CIO is likely to seek a new court warrant to extend the detention deadline.
Yoon Suk-yeol became the first incumbent South Korean president to face arrest after his failed attempt to declare martial law on December 3. The Seoul Western District Court issued a warrant last Tuesday to detain Yoon and a separate warrant to search his residence. However, efforts to execute these warrants have been thwarted as long as Yoon remains in his official residence.
The chief of security for the impeached president, Park Chong-jun, stated on Sunday that he could not cooperate with the arrest efforts due to ongoing legal debates surrounding the warrant. Park defended the presidential security service’s stance, emphasizing its six-decade role in providing security to all South Korean presidents, regardless of political affiliation. He also urged critics to refrain from labeling the service as a “private army.”
As the deadline approaches, it remains uncertain whether the anti-corruption agency will make another attempt to detain Yoon before the midnight expiration. The situation has raised questions about the balance between legal procedures and presidential security protocols in South Korea.
Reference(s):
S. Korean police entrusted with execution of warrant to arrest Yoon
cgtn.com
