South Korean president defiant as he faces attempt to detain him

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol stage a rally in Seoul. The signs read, "Oppose impeachment."

By Kim Tong-hyung

Jan. 2, 2025 Updated 4:16 PM PT

SEOUL — South Korea’s anti-corruption agency has dispatched investigators to execute a warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol as hundreds of his supporters gathered at his residence in Seoul, vowing to block their approach.

Members of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials were seen loading boxes into several vehicles before leaving their building in the city of Gwacheon early Friday. The office didn’t confirm how many investigators were sent.

A Seoul court on Tuesday issued a warrant for Yoon’s detention after he evaded multiple requests to appear for questioning and blocked searches of his office in Seoul, hindering an investigation into whether his short-lived power grab on Dec. 3 amounted to rebellion.

Thousands of police officers were gathered at Yoon’s residence. There were no immediate reports of clashes with protesters.

If Yoon is detained, the anti-corruption agency will have 48 hours to investigate him and either request a warrant for his formal arrest or release him. Yoon’s defense minister, police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested over their roles in the martial law enactment.

Yoon’s imposition last month of martial law ended after six hours when the National Assembly voted, 190 to 0, to lift it despite attempts by heavily armed soldiers to prevent them from voting.

Yoon has defended his martial law decree as a necessary act of governance, portraying it as a temporary warning against the Democratic Party, which he has described as an “anti-state” force obstructing his agenda with its legislative majority.

It was unclear whether the president would cooperate with authorities trying to detain him. In a defiant New Year’s message to conservative supporters rallying outside, Yoon said he will “fight to the end” against anti-state forces “violating our sovereignty” and putting the nation in “danger.” He applauded his supporters for their efforts to protect “liberal democracy and constitutional order” and said he was watching their protests on live YouTube broadcasts, according to a photo of the message shared by Yoon’s lawyers.

His lawyers have argued the court’s detainment warrant is invalid, claiming that the anti-corruption agency lacks the legal authority to investigate rebellion charges. They also accuse the court of bypassing a law that says locations potentially linked to military secrets cannot be seized or searched without the consent of the person in charge.

Oh Dong-woon, the anti-corruption agency’s chief prosecutor, has indicated that police forces might be deployed if Yoon’s security service resists the detention attempt.

Yoon’s legal team issued a statement Thursday warning that any attempt by the anti-corruption agency to use police units for his detention would overstep their legal authority. The lawyers said police officers could face arrest by either the “presidential security service or any citizens” if they try to detain Yoon. They didn’t elaborate.

South Korean law permits anyone to make an arrest to stop an active crime, and critics accused Yoon of inciting his supporters to obstruct attempts to detain him.

Yoon Kap-keun, the president’s lawyer, filed a challenge with the Seoul Western District Court on Thursday to block both the detention warrant for Yoon Suk Yeol and a related search warrant for his residence. The lawyer argued that both warrants violate criminal laws and the constitution.

The liberal opposition Democratic Party, which drove the legislative vote that impeached Yoon on Dec. 14 over his imposition of martial law, accused the president of trying to mobilize his supporters to block his detention and called for law enforcement authorities to execute the warrant immediately.

In subfreezing temperatures, Yoon’s supporters have rallied for hours near his residence, waving South Korean and American flags while chanting, “Nullify the impeachment!” and “We will protect President Yoon Suk Yeol!” Officers on Thursday removed some protesters who lay down on a road leading to the entrance of Yoon’s residence, but there were no immediate reports of major clashes.

Some experts believe the anti-corruption agency, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities, would not risk clashing with Yoon’s security service, which has said it will protect him in accordance with the law. The office may instead issue another summons for Yoon to appear for questioning if the authorities are not able to execute the detainment warrant by Jan. 6.

Yoon’s presidential powers were suspended after a National Assembly vote to impeach him on Dec. 14 over his imposition of martial law, which lasted only hours but has triggered weeks of political turmoil, halted high-level diplomacy and rattled financial markets. Yoon’s fate now lies with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberations on whether to uphold the impeachment and formally remove him from office or reinstate him.

To formally end Yoon’s presidency, at least six justices on the nine-member Constitutional Court must vote in favor.

The National Assembly voted last week to also impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who became acting president after Yoon’s powers were suspended, over his reluctance to fill three Constitutional Court vacancies ahead of the court’s review of Yoon’s case.

Facing growing pressure, the new acting president, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, appointed two new justices on Tuesday, which possibly increased the chances of the court upholding Yoon’s impeachment.

Cho Han-chang, one of the newly appointed justices, said Thursday that he began his job with a “heavy heart.” Jeong Gye-seon, the other new justice, expressed hope that the remaining vacancy would be filled.

Kim writes for the Associated Press.