Acting South Korean President Asks Officials To Avoid Physical Clashes During Yoon Suk-yeol's Efforts To Arrest

JAKARTA - South Korean President Choi Sang-mok urged all government agencies, including secret dins, to avoid physical confrontation during the presidential arrest process impeached by Yoon Suk-yeol who was in his residence under tight guard.

"Make sure no residents are injured, and avoid unwanted incidents such as physical clashes between government agencies under any circumstances," Choi said at a government meeting.

As previously reported, the head of South Korea's anti-corruption agency, the Corruption Investigation Office for High Officials (CIO) promised to successfully execute impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol after an extended detention warrant and last week's execution attempt failed.

Seoul's West District Court on Tuesday provided an extension requested by investigators led by CIO, after the initial warrant ended on Monday, officials said.

Last Friday, CIO failed to execute an arrest warrant after five hours of tension with the Presidential Security Service (PSS).

Despite calls from CIO to inform PSS to step down, Choi has so far refrained from actively using his authority to provide guidelines.

PSS strengthened President Yoon's residence earlier this week by installing barbed wire and barricades, using buses to block access to a residence in Seoul.

CIO itself has announced its plans to carry out the warrant thoroughly through a second seemingly delayed attempt to detain Yoon.

Head of CIO Oh Dong-woon apologized for failing to implement the warrant last Friday, during a session of the legislation committee and the National Assembly's judiciary, pledging to succeed in a second attempt.

Responding to CIO's criticism that he was not sufficiently prepared to carry out the warrant, Oh said there were "many unexpected problems" and he took "full responsibility."

CIO will "prepare comprehensively" the implementation of the second warrant with the understanding that it could be "the last opportunity," Oh said.

Oh it doesn't mind when lawmakers call for a crackdown to defeat the presidential guard and military forces inside the compound, but he refuses to discuss what options are being considered to achieve.

Various scenarios reported in local media include mobilizing a special tactical unit of police and heavy equipment to break through barricades, followed by more than 2,000 police to drag the presidential guard, which takes up to three days if necessary to weaken the presidential security agent.

Myongji University professor Shin Yul, who has followed political chaos, said police had a lot of experience with tactical operations that might be being considered. However, safety should be a top priority, especially for protesters, he said, taking into account the risk of gunfire in potential clashes.

Yoon is under criminal investigation over charges of insurgency over his failed attempt to impose a military emergency on December 3, a decision surprising South Korea and prompting the issuance of a first arrest warrant for a president in office.

He also faces impeachment trials at the Constitutional Court.

One of Yoon's lawyers said the president could not accept the execution of an arrest warrant because it was issued by a court in the wrong jurisdiction, as well as a team of investigators formed to investigate the incumbent leader had no mandate to do so.

Yoon Kab-keun, the lawyer, also denied allegations some MPs that Yoon had fled official residences, saying he had met the president there on Tuesday. He said it was an "evil genor" meant to slander Yoon.