The failed attempt to arrest South Korea president explained | Global News Avenue

South Korean police have called off an attempt to arrest suspended President Yoon Seok-yeol after a six-hour standoff with the president’s security team.

Yoon is under investigation for abusing his power and inciting rebellion when he attempted to impose martial law in early December.

The move, although short-lived, led to a political crisis and Yoon was impeached and suspended from office by the opposition-led parliament.

seoul court A warrant was issued for his arrest Earlier this week, he ignored three subpoenas requiring him to appear for questioning.

Dozens of police cars have been parked on the street outside Yoon’s residence in central Seoul since early Friday morning.

At around 08:00 local time (23:00 GMT), an arrest team consisting of police and CIO members marched towards the compound.

The operation started with a team of 20 people but quickly grew to about 150 people. Even so, they were outnumbered.

While about half the team was able to gain entry, they faced an hours-long standoff with security officials (who were charged with protecting Yin despite being stripped of his powers) and a military unit tasked with protecting the city. Seoul.

Military and security officials formed a human wall and used vehicles to block the arresting team’s path, local news outlet Yonhap reported.

An official at the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul told AFP that the security team at one point “had a confrontation with the chief information officer at the presidential palace.”

“We have determined that an arrest is virtually impossible,” said the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which has been investigating Yoon’s brief martial law order last month.

The CIO said it was “deeply regrettable” that Yoon “refuses legal proceedings,” adding that next steps will be decided after a review.

Yin’s supporters had been camping in front of the presidential palace for days, cheering with singing and dancing when the suspension was announced. “We won!” they chanted.

The CIO said concerns for the safety of the field team were another factor in their decision to call off the arrest attempt.

This development is not surprising given Yin’s disdain throughout the investigation.

Experts say that as a former chief prosecutor, Yoon was well aware of possible legal loopholes in his defense.

Investigators have until Jan. 6 to arrest him before the current warrant expires.

That means they may try to arrest Yoon again over the weekend, although that could be logistically challenging as crowds could swell.

They could also apply for a new arrest warrant and try to detain him again.

Before the attempt was blocked, Yoon’s security team told news organizations they had been “negotiating” with investigators seeking access to the president.

Police have filed criminal charges against Yoon’s security chief and his deputy and summoned them for questioning, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Yin’s legal team was also seen entering the residence just after noon local time.

His lawyer Yin Jiagen earlier said they would pursue legal action against the arrest warrant, saying investigators did not have the authority to detain him.

Meanwhile, Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, criticized Mr Yoon for not sticking to his guns. Commitment to legal and political responsibility Because of his botched attempt at martial law.

“(This) is a complete lie,” Park said, urging the CIO to try again to arrest Yoon today.

The CIO was created just four years ago in response to public anger over former President Park Geun-hye and her excesses. She was impeached by parliament in December 2016 and removed from office three months later.

However, the CIO’s jurisdiction has been questioned by other agencies, and its failure to deal with Yin may be viewed as an embarrassing loss.

South Korea has been in political chaos since Yoon Eun-hye attempted to impose martial law on December 3.

Days and nights of protests eventually led the opposition-dominated parliament to vote to impeach him on December 14, their second attempt to impeach him.

On Friday, prosecutors also indicted Army Chief of Staff Park An-soo, who was named martial law commander in a brief statement, and Special Forces Commander Kwak Jong-keun on Friday for rebellion, Seoul news outlet Yonhap reported.

They will be tried in prison.

Additional reporting by Jake Kwon in Seoul