South Korean investigators have failed to carry out an arrest warrant against impeached President Yoon Sukyeol after arriving at his residence to execute it.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that they faced resistance upon arrival and were then locked in a nearly six-hour long standoff.
The investigators entered the presidential residence through heavy security barricades and Yonhap reported that the attempts to proceed were hindered by a military unit inside the compound.
After managing to “move past” the unit, they were confronted by the Presidential Security Service still protecting the impeached president.
Officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) called off the arrest attempt at around 1:30 pm due to concerns over the safety of its personnel.
“It was judged that it was virtually impossible to execute the arrest warrant due to the ongoing standoff,” the CIO said in a statement.
In response to the investigators arrival on Friday, Yoon’s lawyer said they were not acting lawfully and that further legal action would taken against the move.
“The execution of a warrant that is illegal and invalid is indeed not lawful,” Yoon’s lawyer Yoon Kap-keun said, adding that “legal actions will be taken regarding the illegal execution of the warrant.”
Hundreds of the president’s supporters gathered at his residence in an effort to block investigators.
Court-ordered warrant issued for arrest
On Tuesday, a Seoul court issued a warrant for Yoon’s arrest after he failed to appear for questioning after multiple requests and blocked searches of his offices in the South Korean capital.
Authorities are looking into whether Yoon’s short-lived declaration of martial law on December 3 amounted to rebellion.
He could become the first sitting president to be arrested in the South Korea’s history.
Yoon supporters continue to protest
The embattled president had vowed to “fight until the end” while facing arrest.
Supporters who had gathered on Thursday to protest the arrest warrant against Yoon camped overnight and chanted “illegal warrant is invalid” on Friday morning as investigators and media convened at the presidential residence.
The president had told his supporters on Thursday: “I will fight until the end to protect this country together with you.”
The Presidential Security Service continues protects Yoon as the sitting head of state and had blocked previous police raids of the residence.
This article first appeared on DW.
