South Korean investigators enter Presidential compound to detain Yoon Suk Yeol; top security official arrested: Report

South Korean investigators enter Presidential compound to detain Yoon Suk Yeol; top security official arrested: Report

South Korean investigators enter Presidential compound to detain Yoon Suk Yeol; top security official arrested: Report ByHT News Desk Jan 15, 2025 05:48 AM IST Share Via Copy Link South Korean investigators used ladders to enter Yoon Suk Yeol's residence compound after clashes broke out when his guards blocked the main gate.

South Korean investigators on Wednesday tried to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law bid, using ladders to enter his residence compound after clashes broke out when his guards blocked the main gate, news agency Reuters reported.

Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's supporters scuffle with police officers as authorities seek to execute an arrest warrant in Seoul on January 15, 2025. (REUTERS)

The investigators also arrested Kim Sung-hoon, the acting chief of the Presidential Security Service, for blocking their initial attempt to arrest Yoon Suk Yeol, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

Yoon Suk Yeol has resisted arrest since a short-lived December 3 power grab plunged the country into its worst political crisis in decades, after he directed soldiers to storm Parliament in a bid to stop lawmakers from voting down his move.

The former star prosecutor, who has already been suspended from duty by lawmakers, would become the first sitting president in South Korean history to be arrested if the court-ordered warrant is carried out, news agency AFP reported.

“The execution of the presidential arrest warrant has begun,” acting President Choi Sang-mok confirmed in a statement. “This situation is a crucial moment for maintaining order and the rule of law in South Korea,” he added.