South Korean investigators have called off an attempt to arrest suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol after a dramatic six-hour standoff with the security team outside his home.
“We’ve determined that the arrest is practically impossible,” said the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which has been investigating Yoon’s short-lived martial law declaration.
“Next steps will be decided after review,” the CIO said, adding that Yoon’s “refusal of the legal process” is “deeply regrettable”.
Yoon’s supporters, who have been camped out in front of the presidential residence for days, cheered in song and dance as the suspension was announced. “We won!” they chanted.
The CIO said that concern for the safety of the team on the ground was another factor in their decision to call off the attempted arrest.
Investigators have until 6 January to arrest Yoon before the current warrant expires. They can, however, apply for a new warrant and try to detain him again.
Since early morning, dozens of police vans lined the street outside Yoon’s residence in central Seoul.
At about 08:00 local time (23:00 GMT), an arrest team made up of police officers and CIO members marched towards the compound.
This started out with a 20-strong team, but quickly multiplied to some 150 people.
While about half of the arrest team was able to get inside, they were locked for hours in a standoff with security officers – who are still responsible for protecting Yoon, despite him being stripped of his powers – and a military unit responsible for protecting the city of Seoul.
At one point the security team engaged in a “confrontation with the CIO at the presidential residence”, an official with Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff told AFP.
Before the attempt was stood down, Yoon’s security team told the news agency they had been “in negotiation” with the investigators who sought to access the president.
Yoon’s legal team was also seen entering the residence slightly past noon local time.
His lawyer Yoon Gab-keun had earlier said they would take legal action over the arrest warrant, which they called “illegal and invalid”.
A Seoul court issued the arrest warrant early this week, after Yoon ignored three summonses to appear for questioning over the past fortnight.
On Friday, prosecutors also indicted on insurrection charges army chief Park An-su, who was named martial law commander during the brief declaration last month, and special forces commander Kwak Jong-geun, according to Seoul-based news outlet Yonhap.
They are to face trial while in prison.
