S. Korea's CIO urges acting president to facilitate Yoon's arrest
A South Korean flag flutters during a pro-Yoon protesters rally near impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's official residence after investigators were unable to execute an arrest warrant on Friday for Yeol, according to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, in Seoul, South Korea, January 3, 2025.
South Korea's Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials on Friday called on the country's acting president to facilitate the execution of an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol.
The anti-corruption investigative unit asked Choi Sang-mok to use his commanding and supervision authorities in the capacity of the acting president by ordering the presidential security service to cooperate with the CIO's move for Yoon's arrest.
The CIO made the appeal after it failed in an attempt to arrest Yoon earlier in the day, saying the execution of an arrest warrant against Yoon was deemed impossible given the presidential security service's persistent refusal to cooperate.
CIO investigative officers left the presidential residence after failing to arrest the embattled president, noting they stopped the execution at about 1:30pm local time over concerns about the safety of the investigators at the scene.
The CIO expressed deep regret over the attitude of Yoon who refused to comply with the legal procedures.
The CIO's move for Yoon's arrest came after he refused to meet three summons requests for questioning in a probe by a joint investigation unit consisting of the CIO, the National Office of Investigation, and the defense ministry's investigation headquarters.
Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on an insurrection charge, declared martial law on the night of December 3, 2024, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.
An impeachment motion against Yoon was passed by the parliament on December 14 and delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended.
