SEOUL — South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol refused to appear for fresh questioning by investigators on Thursday, a day after his arrest over a failed martial law declaration.

The Constitutional Court also opened its second hearing in a trial that will decide whether to uphold Yoon's impeachment, following the dawn raid that made him the country's first-ever sitting president to be detained.

The former star prosecutor, who faces charges of insurrection, was questioned for hours on Wednesday but exercised his right to remain silent before being moved to a detention center.

Investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office, or CIO, resumed Yoon's questioning on Thursday afternoon, but he did not attend.

"President Yoon Suk-yeol's representatives informed the CIO through his legal counsel around 1:50 pm that there is 'no change in his position', indicating his intent not to appear," the CIO said in a statement before the questioning.

Yoon's lawyer confirmed to AFP the leader would not attend, without specifying the reason, but told the Yonhap news agency it was for health reasons.

"President Yoon is not well and fully explained his position yesterday, so there is nothing more to be interrogated about," Yoon Kab-keun, the lawyer, told Yonhap, an apparent reference to his decision not to answer questions on Wednesday.

Wednesday's arrest saw a hundreds-strong force of police and investigators bypass bus barricades, cut barbed wire and scale ladders to get inside the compound where Yoon was surrounded by hundreds of guards.

Yoon said he complied with investigators to avoid "bloodshed" but did not accept the legality of the investigation.

Meanwhile, officials were trying to secure a new warrant that could hold him for longer than 48 hours.

If investigators successfully obtain that warrant, they are expected to be given a 20-day extension to the leader's detention to allow time to formalize an indictment against him.

South Korea's opposition Democratic Party celebrated Yoon's detention, while the parliament speaker said it was time to stabilize the country after weeks of turmoil.

However, Yoon's lawyers have filed for a review of the warrant used to arrest him.

Experts say Yoon's legal team appears to be trying to drag out the arrest process to his benefit.

Opinion polls show a majority of South Koreans support impeaching Yoon, but the attempts to arrest him appear to have rallied his hardcore supporters.

Agencies Via Xinhua

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was arrested at the presidential residence on Wednesday, becoming the country's first sitting president to be kept in custody.

South Korean investigators announced early on Wednesday that they had arrested the impeached president during their second attempt to execute the arrest warrant.

Yoon's arrest is a result of his declaration on Dec 3 of martial law, which the National Assembly overturned just hours later. On Dec 14, the National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon, and a trial is underway in the nation's Constitutional Court. Yoon's presidential powers have been suspended.

In a pre-recorded message, Yoon said he submitted himself for questioning to avoid any bloodshed, though he said the investigation and arrest were illegal. He deplored the execution of the arrest warrant, which he described as being carried out by force.

Da Zhigang, a researcher at the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Northeast Asian Studies, said the issue of Yoon's arrest has sparked a significant societal divide in South Korea, as seen in the recent surge in demonstrations by Yoon's supporters as well as his detractors, highlighting the intensifying political strife between the ruling and opposition parties.

Da said the president's statement showed that Yoon lacked confidence "in the presidential guards' ability to withstand a second arrest attempt led by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. Given this, Yoon aims to enhance his image and public support by voluntarily cooperating with the arrest to avoid conflict".

Although polls have indicated that most South Koreans disapproved of Yoon's martial law declaration and supported his impeachment, the prolonged political standoff has energized his supporters, leading to a resurgence of support for his People Power Party, the country's ruling party, in recent weeks.

According to the latest Realmeter poll results released on Monday, support for the PPP had reached 40.8 percent, while the main opposition Democratic Party's support was at 42.2 percent. The difference falls within the margin of error and represents a significant narrowing from the previous week's 10.8 percentage point gap.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials said on Wednesday that during the investigation, Yoon consistently refused to make any statements and declined to allow the questioning process to be recorded or videotaped.

Zhan Debin, director of the Center for Korean Peninsula Studies at Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, said that Yoon's arrest is of strong symbolic significance and is likely to expedite judicial proceedings.

Kwon Ki-sik, a former presidential secretary for monitoring of state affairs, said the arrest is likely to expedite the Constitutional Court's review of Yoon's impeachment case, and a verdict could be reached as early as mid-March.

Yoon's legal team issued a statement on Wednesday saying that the CIO does not have the authority to investigate the president, and the arrest warrant was illegal. The team vowed to hold the CIO and the police legally accountable for what it called the unlawful execution of the arrest warrant.

Da, the researcher, said that Yoon's case will likely lead to a prolonged struggle. "The CIO will try to speed up the investigation in collaboration with the Defense Ministry and the police. The ruling party will use favorable laws to defend and countersue.

"What's clear is that this political turmoil harms South Korea's national image and economy. South Korea's national instability may also increase regional uncertainty," Da added.

In late December, the exchange rate of the South Korean won at one point plummeted to 1,487 against the US dollar, the lowest in more than 15 years.

When asked about Yoon's arrest at a regular news conference on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said he would not comment on South Korea's domestic affairs.

"China and the Republic of Korea are important neighbors and cooperation partners. China stands ready to work with the ROK for the sound and steady growth of bilateral relations," Guo said.

Agencies contributed to this story.

SEOUL -- South Korea's Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) said Wednesday that during the investigation conducted from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm local time, the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol consistently refused to make any statements and declined to allow the questioning process to be recorded or videotaped.

Local media quoted the CIO as saying that it is currently negotiating with the presidential security service on whether to transfer Yoon to the Seoul Detention Center for custody. Additionally, it is considering applying for a detention warrant from the Seoul Western District Court, which issued the arrest warrant against Yoon.

If approved, the detention period could be extended to a maximum of 20 days. The CIO plans to transfer Yoon to the prosecution after 10 days of detention.

In response, Yoon's legal team issued a statement emphasizing that the CIO does not have the authority to investigate the president and the arrest warrant is "illegal".

The team vowed to hold the CIO and the police legally accountable for the unlawful execution of the arrest warrant, according to the statement.

SEOUL -- South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was arrested in presidential residence Wednesday, becoming the country's first sitting president to be kept in custody over his short-lived martial law imposition.

A joint investigation unit, composed of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), the National Office of Investigation (NOI) and the defense ministry's investigative headquarters, said in a short notice that Yoon was arrested at 10:33 am local time (0133 GMT).

TV footage showed that a black vehicle carrying Yoon arrived at the CIO office in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, before being detained at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, just 5 km away from the office.

The CIO will be required to decide within 48 hours whether to seek a separate warrant to detain Yoon for up to 20 days for further questioning or release him.

Yoon became the first incumbent president to be arrested in the country's modern history.

Yoon said in a pre-recorded message that he deplored proceeding with the arrest warrant, which he claimed to be illegal and executed by force.

He said that accepting what he claimed to be an illegal procedure was aimed at preventing any possible bloodshed.

Investigators from the CIO and the National Office of Investigation (NOI) broke through cordons of the presidential security service without interruption after being blocked for over two hours by Yoon's supporters, his counsels and lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party in front of the main gate of the residence.

It came after the botched attempt to apprehend Yoon on Jan. 3 when the presidential security service deterred the execution of the arrest warrant.

A Seoul court granted the extension of the warrant to arrest Yoon on Jan. 7 by issuing the second warrant.

The embattled president defied the CIO's calls three times last month to voluntarily appear for questioning, leading to the arrest warrant issuance.

Yoon said in a televised address last month that he will not avoid his legal and political responsibility for the martial law imposition.

Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on an insurrection charge, declared a martial law on the night of Dec. 3 last year but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

An impeachment motion against Yoon was passed by the National Assembly on Dec 14 and delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended.

The court held the first formal hearing for Yoon's impeachment trial on Tuesday, rejecting Yoon's request to exclude a newly appointed justice, recommended by the main opposition Democratic Party, from hearings and the trial.

The first hearing continued just for about four minutes as Yoon failed to appear in the court.

Newly appointed justices filled two of three vacancies in the nine-member bench and assumed their duties earlier this month, raising a possibility for Yoon's impeachment being upheld.

To oust Yoon from office, at least six justices of the constitutional court are required to uphold the impeachment.

Following the first hearing, the court planned to hold next hearings on Jan 16, 21, 23 and Feb 4.

SEOUL -- South Korean investigators on Wednesday entered the presidential residence in an attempt to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol, TV footage showed.

Police officers and investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the National Office of Investigation (NOI) broke through the second cordon of buses after getting through the first cordon using ladders.

The investigators confronted Yoon's supporters, lawmakers of the ruling conservative People Power Party and Yoon's defense counsels in front of the main gate of the presidential residence for over two hours early Wednesday following a botched attempt to apprehend Yoon earlier this month.

Local media reported that the investigators were involved in a "physical clash" with the security service. Police warned that any attempt to resist the warrant's execution could lead to arrest.

Investigators attempted to arrest Yoon in the presidential residence on Jan. 3, but it failed as the presidential security service blocked the execution of the arrest warrant.

A Seoul court granted the extension of warrant to apprehend Yoon on Jan. 7 by issuing the second warrant against the impeached president.

An impeachment motion against Yoon was passed by the National Assembly on Dec. 14 last year and delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended.

Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on an insurrection charge, declared a martial law on the night of Dec. 3 but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

SEOUL -- The South Korean constitutional court on Tuesday said the second hearing of the trial of President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment will be held on Thursday.

The court on Tuesday held the first hearing of the case but only lasted for about four minutes due to Yoon's absence.

During Tuesday's session, the court rejected Yoon's request to avoid a newly appointed justice in the first formal hearing of Yoon's impeachment trial.

According to South Korean laws, the parties involved must appear for the hearings. If a party is absent, the court will conclude the session and schedule the next hearing date. However, if a party fails to appear for a second time, the court may proceed.

SEOUL -- A South Korean court issued a warrant to arrest the acting chief of the presidential security service who blocked an attempt earlier this month to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol, multiple media outlets said Tuesday.

The arrest warrant against the acting presidential security chief was issued on Monday by the Seoul Western District Court on the charge of obstructing the execution of special public affairs.

The acting chief rejected police calls three times to appear for questioning over the charge.

Investigators attempted to arrest Yoon in the presidential residence on Jan 3, but it failed as the presidential security service blocked the execution of the arrest warrant.

A Seoul court granted the extension of the warrant to apprehend Yoon on Jan 7 by issuing the second warrant against the impeached president.

An impeachment motion against Yoon was passed by the National Assembly on Dec 14 last year and delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended.

Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on an insurrection charge, declared a martial law on the night of Dec 3 but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

SEOUL -- The South Korean constitutional court started the first hearing of President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment trial on Tuesday.

Yoon did not appear at the hearing.

The court on Tuesday rejected Yoon's request to avoid a newly appointed justice in the first formal hearing of Yoon's impeachment trial.

The first hearing continued just for about four minutes as the embattled president failed to appear in the court.

Yoon's side called for Jeong Gye-seon, the recently inaugurated justice recommended by the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, to be excluded from hearings and trial against Yoon's impeachment, only to be dismissed by the constitutional court.

Two newly appointed justices, including Jeong, filled two of three vacancies in the nine-member bench and launched their duties earlier this month, raising a possibility for Yoon's impeachment being upheld.

To oust Yoon from office, at least six justices of the constitutional court are required to uphold the impeachment.

Yoon's defense counsel said Sunday that the president would not attend the hearing on concerns about safety and mishaps, caused by continued attempts to arrest Yoon.

Following the first hearing, the court planned to hold next hearings on Jan 16, Jan 21, Jan 23 and Feb 4.

An impeachment motion against Yoon was passed by the National Assembly on Dec 14 last year and delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended.

Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on insurrection charge, declared a martial law on the night of Dec 3. It was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

Investigators attempted to arrest Yoon in the presidential residence on Jan 3, but it failed as the presidential security service blocked the execution of the arrest warrant.

A Seoul court granted the extension of warrant to apprehend Yoon on Jan 7 by issuing the second warrant against the impeached president.

SEOUL -- South Korea's police, anti-corruption agency, and presidential security service on Tuesday discussed the execution of warrant to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol.

The three-way meeting was held at about 8:00 am local time (2300 GMT Monday) among officials from Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), National Office of Investigation (NOI) and presidential security service.

The joint investigation unit, comprising the CIO, the NOI and the defense ministry's investigative headquarters, said in a short notice that it requested cooperation from the security service to proceed with the arrest warrant safely and peacefully, adding that it was waiting for the security service's response.

During the discussion, the two sides allegedly confirmed their difference in position as the security service reiterated its previous position to block the warrant execution.

The NOI sent an official letter on Monday, asking the CIO and the security service to hold the meeting amid growing concerns about physical conflict during the warrant execution that was widely expected to happen early Wednesday, according to multiple media outlets.

The NOI and the CIO reportedly planned a large-scale operation, involving about 1,000 investigators, to arrest Yoon.

Investigators attempted to arrest Yoon in the presidential residence on Jan 3, but it failed as the presidential security service blocked the execution of the arrest warrant.

A Seoul court granted the extension of warrant to apprehend Yoon on Jan 7 by issuing the second warrant against the impeached president.

The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed in the National Assembly on Dec 14, 2024, and was delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended.

Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on an insurrection charge, declared martial law on the night of Dec 3 but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

SEOUL — South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will not attend the first hearing of his impeachment trial this week because of safety concerns, his lawyer said on Sunday.

Yoon has been holed up in the presidential residence and protected by an elite guard force since being suspended and impeached last month, following a short-lived declaration of martial law that plunged the country into political chaos.

He has refused to meet prosecutors and investigators and his presidential guard unit thwarted an attempt to arrest him following a tense, hours-long standoff earlier this month.

The Constitutional Court has scheduled five trial dates spanning Jan 14 to Feb 4, which will proceed in his absence if he does not attend.

"Concerns about safety and potential incidents have arisen. Therefore, the president will not be able to attend the trial on Jan 14," lawyer Yoon Kab-keun said in a statement sent to AFP. "The president is willing to appear at any time once safety issues are resolved."

The court will decide whether to uphold his impeachment or restore him to office.

Separately, investigators seeking to question Yoon on insurrection charges linked to his ill-fated martial law declaration are preparing another arrest attempt.

His lawyers have repeatedly said an initial seven-day warrant and the new one they secured this week were both "unlawful".

Investigators have kept secret the length of the new warrant, with local media reporting it is longer than the previous one.

Yoon's supporters and opponents have gathered almost daily in Seoul since the crisis unfolded.

On Sunday, more demonstrations were planned by rival camps outside Yoon's residence and on the streets, either calling for his impeachment to be declared invalid or for him to be detained immediately.

The president's legal team said his guards were on "high alert".

A team of Corruption Investigation Office officials and police are planning for the next arrest attempt, which they said could be their last.

The CIO said anyone obstructing their attempt could be detained and police reportedly held a meeting of top commanders on Friday to plan for the renewed effort.

It said in a text message that Yoon's attorneys submitted a notice of appointment of lawyers on Sunday afternoon, without elaborating, Reuters reported.

Former Presidential Security Service chief Park Chong-jun, who resigned on Friday, faced two days of questioning and gave no explanations for his resignation.

"I am cooperating as diligently as possible with the authorities' investigation," he told reporters on Saturday.

His replacement, acting chief Kim Seong-hun, refused to turn up to a third summons on Saturday, claiming he had to protect Yoon, opening him up to possible arrest.

AGENCIES VIA XINHUA

SEOUL — South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will accept the decision of the Constitutional Court that is handling parliament's impeachment case against him, even if it decides to remove the suspended leader from office, his lawyer said on Thursday.

"So, if the decision is 'removal', it cannot but be accepted," Yoon's lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, told a news conference.

Rulings by the court, one of the two highest courts in the country along with the Supreme Court, cannot be appealed.

The president earlier ignored the Constitutional Court's requests to submit legal briefs before the court began its hearing on Dec 27, but his lawyers have said he is willing to appear in person to argue his case.

He has defied repeated summons in a separate criminal investigation into allegations he masterminded insurrection with his Dec 3 martial law bid, which led to the first arrest warrant issued for a sitting president.

Yoon remained holed up at his residence in Seoul, where the Presidential Security Service has fortified the grounds with barbed wire and rows of vehicles blocking the roads, anticipating another attempt by law enforcement to detain him after last week's failed effort.

Seok Dong-hyeon, another lawyer advising Yoon, said on Thursday that the anti-corruption office's "reckless" attempts to detain Yoon would "provoke a significant backlash from outraged citizens".

'Civil war' warning

"It would essentially be a civil war situation," he said, adding attempts to detain Yoon are aimed at humiliating him by displaying him in handcuffs.

Separated by police lines and fences, thousands of Yoon's supporters and critics continued their daily rallies near his residence, shouting passionate slogans either vowing to protect him or calling for his ouster.

In another development, South Korean opposition parties introduced a bill on Thursday calling for an independent investigation into Yoon's martial law declaration.

The bill, jointly submitted by six parties, including the main opposition Democratic Party, proposes that a special prosecutor investigate whether the martial law decree constituted an attempted rebellion.

The opposition has claimed that an independent investigation is crucial because separate investigations led by the anti-corruption agency and public prosecutors have been hindered by Yoon's unwillingness to cooperate.

Agencies Via Xinhua

SEOUL -- South Korean prosecutors have indicted the country's defence intelligence commander over his role in impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol's failed attempt to declare martial law on Dec 3, Yonhap news agency reported on Monday. 

Reuters

SEOUL -- South Korea's anti-corruption investigative agency will seek the extension of a warrant to arrest the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday after a botched attempt of Yoon's arrest last week, according to multiple media outlets.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) planned to request the extension of the warrant later in the day after entrusting the National Office of Investigation (NOI) with the task of executing the warrant on Sunday.

The CIO was quoted as saying that it will maintain the authority to investigate and entrust the NOI with the authority to execute the warrant while considering referring the case to the prosecution office at a certain stage.

The anti-corruption investigative unit and the police have investigated Yoon's martial law imposition jointly with the defense ministry's investigation headquarters.

The CIO investigators and police officers attempted to arrest the impeached president in the presidential residence on Jan. 3, but they failed as the presidential security service blocked the execution of the arrest warrant that was issued by a Seoul court. The warrant was scheduled to be valid for a week until Monday.

Analysts suggested that the CIO's decision to transfer the arrest responsibility stems from the Jan. 3 failure and expects significant resistance and little chance of success in a second attempt.

They said the CIO, as an anti-corruption agency, has long been criticized for its relative weakness and lack of tangible achievements, with some even labeling it "ineffective since its establishment."

The CIO has insisted on leading an "insurrection investigation" under the pretext of uncovering clues during an investigation of abuse of power, aiming to prove its relevance. However, Yoon's camp and the ruling party argue that the CIO does not have jurisdiction to investigate the president for such charges.

Meanwhile, the CIO obtained the arrest warrant from the Seoul Western District Court, which was criticized by opponents as bypassing the corresponding authority -- the Seoul Central District Court, calling it a "selective operation." The ruling People Power Party also criticized the CIO's execution of the arrest warrant as an "overreach and inappropriate action."

Park Jong-joon, chief of South Korea's presidential security service, on Sunday vowed to keep blocking the attempt to arrest Yoon.

If the security service, which puts its top priority on the president's absolute safety, complied with the execution of the arrest warrant against Yoon, it would have been a dereliction of duty and an abandonment of presidential security, Park said in a statement.

Park noted that he would accept any judicial responsibility for his possible errors in his decision to let security service agents confront a group of investigators who raided the presidential residence in central Seoul on Friday to proceed with the warrant to detain Yoon.

The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed in the National Assembly on Dec. 14, 2024, and was delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended.

Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on an insurrection charge, declared martial law on the night of Dec. 3, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

SEOUL -- Chief of South Korea's presidential security service, Park Jong-joon, on Sunday vowed to keep blocking an attempt to arrest the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol.

If the security service, which puts its top priority on the president's absolute safety, complied with the execution of the arrest warrant against Yoon, it would have been a dereliction of duty and an abandonment of presidential security, Park said in a statement.

Park noted that he would accept any judicial responsibility for his possible errors in his decision to let security service agents confront a group of investigators who raided the presidential residence in central Seoul on Friday to proceed with the warrant to detain Yoon.

After the security service's obstruction of justice led to the botched attempt to arrest Yoon, a wave of denunciations emerged describing the security service as private bodyguards, even with calls that the security service should be disbanded.

The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed in the National Assembly on Dec 14 last year, and was delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended.

Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on insurrection charge, declared martial law on the night of Dec 3, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

SEOUL -- South Korea's constitutional court said Friday that it will hold hearings for President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment trial on Jan 14 and Jan 16.

A constitutional court justice said in the second preparatory hearing earlier in the day that the pretrial hearing was concluded with the second one to hold a formal hearing on Jan 14 for the launch of formal proceedings.

The justice noted that the second formal hearing was set on Jan 16 in preparation for the absence of the defendant, referring to the impeached president.

Legal representatives for Yoon demanded further discussions in additional preparatory hearings, but it was dismissed by the justice.

Legal representatives for the National Assembly denounced Yoon's defense counsel for intending to delay the court proceedings.

An impeachment motion against Yoon was passed by the National Assembly on Dec 14 last year and delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended.

Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on insurrection charge, declared a martial law on the night of Dec 3, 2024 but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

SEOUL -- South Korean investigators with the anti-corruption investigative unit left the presidential residence after failing to arrest the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on Friday.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) said the continued confrontation virtually made it impossible to execute the arrest warrant against Yoon, which was issued by a Seoul court on Tuesday.

The CIO noted that it stopped the execution at about 1:30 p.m. local time (0430 GMT) over concerns about the safety of investigators at the scene, expressing deep regret over the attitude of Yoon who refused to comply with legal procedures.

The investigative unit added that it will decide on future measures after relevant reviews.

A group of CIO prosecutors and investigators attempted to arrest the impeached president over his martial law imposition in the presidential residence in central Seoul on Friday, but after confronting the presidential security service agents, they had to stop proceeding with the arrest warrant.

SEOUL -- A group of South Korean investigators confronted the presidential security service agents for over two hours on Friday in an attempt to arrest the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol, according to multiple media outlets.

The prosecutors and investigators with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) faced the third and last cordon of the security service inside the presidential residence in central Seoul after breaking through the second cordon of soldiers.

The chief of the security service, which protects the president at the closest range, rejected the CIO's calls to search the residence for the execution of a warrant to arrest Yoon that was issued by a Seoul court on Tuesday.

After passing through the first cordon of police officers, the investigators walked into a road at the residence's main gate around 8:02 a.m. local time (2302 GMT Thursday).

The CIO warned earlier that if the security service blocks the arrest, it would be a crime of obstruction of justice.

About 2,700 riot policemen were reportedly deployed to the residence to help proceed with the arrest warrant.

The CIO has been investigating Yoon's martial law imposition jointly with the National Office of Investigation (NOI) and the defense ministry's investigation headquarters.

Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on an insurrection charge, declared a martial law on the night of Dec. 3 last year, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed in the National Assembly on Dec. 14 and was delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's power is suspended.

SEOUL -- South Korea's police special forces were searching the building of the ruling People Power Party in central Seoul after a threat of planting explosives, multiple media outlets said Thursday.

It was reported to the police at about 11:00 am local time (0200 GMT) that the People Power Party received a fax of threatening to install explosives in its building from an unidentified person.

The police dispatched special forces and detection dogs to search inside and outside the party's building.

Neither an explosive device nor other material had yet to be found. The police were investigating the fax sender and other details.

SEOUL -- South Korea's constitutional court on Tuesday called for an early appointment of justices to fill three vacancies on the nine-member bench for President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment trial over his martial law imposition.

A spokesperson of the court told a televised press briefing that the incumbent justices urged the "rapid completion" of the constitutional court during a meeting on Monday.

She noted that the six justices maintained their position of putting Yoon's impeachment trial as a top priority.

On Dec 26, the country's parliament voted for the appointment of the three justices, two of which were nominated by the main opposition Democratic Party, while one was nominated by the ruling People Power Party.

The appointment of the three justices, which was passed in the opposition-controlled National Assembly, is required to be ceremonially approved by the president.

Economy and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who doubles as deputy prime minister for economic affairs, became an acting president following the impeachment of both President Yoon and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

Han was impeached by the National Assembly after officially refusing to ratify the appointment of the justices.

The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed in the National Assembly on Dec 14 and was delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended.

Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspect on insurrection charge, declared an emergency martial law on the night of Dec 3, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

To oust Yoon from office, at least six out of nine constitutional court justices are required to uphold the impeachment motion.

SEOUL -- A South Korean court issued a warrant to arrest the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol and search the presidential residence, the joint investigation unit said Tuesday.

The investigation unit, consisting of Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), National Office of Investigation (NOI) and the defense ministry's investigation headquarters, said in a short notice that the issuance of arrest and search warrants against Yoon was confirmed earlier in the morning.

The unit added that no schedule was set for the execution of the warrants, which in normal cases are valid for one week from the date of issuance.

It marked the first time in the country's modern history that an arrest warrant was issued against a sitting president.

The joint investigation unit requested the warrants against Yoon to the Seoul Western District Court on insurrection and other charges the previous day.

The unit asked Yoon to appear for questioning three times on Dec. 18, Dec. 25 and Dec. 29, but the impeached leader refused to receive summonses and submit documents for the appointment of his defense counsel.

Yoon's side submitted written opinion and appointed defense counsel to the Seoul Court just hours after the request for issuance of the warrants.

Yoon was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on insurrection charge.

Yoon said in a televised address on Dec. 12 that he will not avoid his legal and political responsibility for the martial law that was declared by Yoon on the night of Dec. 3 but was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed in the National Assembly on Dec. 14 and was delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's power is suspended.