On January 3, South Korean authorities attempted to execute an unprecedented arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. Investigators arrived at Yoon’s residence in the early hours, facing a crowd of his die-hard supporters who vowed to block any arrest attempt. The media gathered outside the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials in Gwacheon, South Korea, awaiting Yoon’s arrival.
If authorities succeed in arresting Yoon, they will have 48 hours to question him, with the option to apply for a new warrant for an additional 20 days. The deadline to execute the arrest warrant is January 6, according to Yonhap News Agency. The head of South Korea’s presidential security service stated that investigators cannot search Yoon’s residence.
Before his presidency, Yoon was known as an “anti-corruption investigator” who led prosecutions against two former presidents, Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak, as well as Samsung’s chief and a former chief justice of the Supreme Court. Yoon announced his bid for the presidency in 2019, quickly gaining support from voters seeking a change from the liberal bloc.