Lawyer Wants To Surrender, South Korea CIO Confirms Efforts To Execute Yoon's Arrest Order

JAKARTA - The Corruption Investigation Office for High Officials (CIO) said it was "in the process of coordinating the execution of a warrant" while trying to carry out a second arrest warrant against the South Korean President (South Korea) impeached by Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday.

Investigators are negotiating with Yoon at his residence to coordinate how the president will be detained and brought in for questioning regarding the implementation of a military emergency in a short time.

The talks lasted about four hours after investigators from the police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High Officials (CIO) began making a second attempt to carry out a search warrant for the president's residence and detain Yoon.

"At this point, we do not consider its voluntary presence and our goal is to carry out the warrant," a CIO official told reporters.

"Unlike in the first attempt, no personnel or staff of the Presidential Security Service (PSS) were actively fighting the execution," the official added.

"There were almost no physical clashes today," he said.

Investigators used the stairs to enter the presidential residence complex in downtown Seoul after being blocked by PSS, which made barricades using vehicles near the entrance.

They were also blocked by a group of lawmakers from the ruling People's Power Party and lawyer Yoon at the entrance.

"This is not fair law enforcement," Yun Gap-geun, one of the lawyers, called the investigator's efforts "illegal."

The police are also trying to detain PSS Deputy Chief Kim Seong-hoon, acting head of service, for allegedly obstructing investigators from detaining Yoon.

Meanwhile, police broadcast warnings that any attempt to counter the implementation of the warrant could lead to an arrest.

Outside Yoon's residence, a large crowd gathered with police initially estimated around 6,500 supporters of the president who were impeached to attend.

Previously, investigators failed to arrest Yoon earlier this month after hours of stalemate with his security staff at the residence where Yoon has lived since the National Assembly impeached him on December 14.

The Seoul Western District Court previously issued a warrant for Yoon's detention after he rejected three summons from investigators to attend an investigation into his failed attempt to impose a military emergency on December 3.

The warrant, which was granted an extension last week after expiration, will remain in effect until January 21.