SEOUL -- South Korea's prosecution sought the extension of detention of the arrested President Yoon Suk-yeol until Feb 6 to carry out further investigation, multiple media outlets said Friday.

The prosecution's special investigative headquarters made the request to the Seoul Central District Court on Thursday, which was predicted to decide on the extension as early as Friday.

A warrant to keep Yoon in custody for up to 20 days, including the arrest period, was issued by another Seoul court on Jan 19.

The prosecution was widely expected to indict Yoon under detention for insurrection and other charges.

Yoon was apprehended in presidential office on Jan 15, becoming the country's first sitting president to be arrested.

The motion to impeach Yoon was passed through 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agencies as a suspected ringleader on insurrection charge, declared a martial law on the night of Dec 3, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol directly questioned former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun on Thursday in the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial, with Kim refuting allegations related to Yoon's Dec 3 martial law declaration.

Attired in a navy suit and red tie, the same outfit he wore when he first attended the impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court two days ago, Yoon came in person for the second time — which also included the cross-examination of the first witness, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Questioned for two and a half hours, Kim said he was the one who wrote a note to then finance minister Choi Sang-mok — now acting president — to ask him to draft a budget for an emergency legislative body.

As a key piece of evidence related to the insurrection charges, Yoon is accused of handing the note to Choi when martial law was declared. The imposition of martial law, which plunged the country into political chaos, lasted just six hours before lawmakers voted it down.

Regarding the deployment of troops to the National Assembly building, Kim said Yoon only ordered "a small number" of soldiers, against his advice to mobilize up to 60,000.

He also said Yoon's purpose in mobilizing the troops was not to stop lawmakers from voting down the decree but to "watch closely for people approaching to disrupt the maintenance of order and allow selective entry", Kim was quoted as saying by Yonhap.

Kim was also questioned by the legal representatives from the National Assembly, who are serving as the prosecutors in the trial.

Kim originally refused to be questioned by the National Assembly lawyers but later reversed his stance after being warned by the court that refusing to testify could affect the judgment of his credibility.

He also said he drafted the martial law proclamation, which included a ban on all political activities, based on past martial law documents, and that Yoon did not read it carefully.

Kim was chosen by Yoon's lawyers as a witness for the trial. He was arrested on Dec 8 over his alleged role in the martial law decree and attempted suicide on Dec 10.

During the hearing, Yoon said the martial law declaration was not a failure because he had always planned to end it quickly.

"It ended a little earlier than expected," Yoon said, adding that he immediately ordered the withdrawal of troops after the National Assembly voted against it.

He said the mobilization of troops was legal.

The Constitutional Court received the case on Dec 14 after the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion against Yoon. The court has up to 180 days to decide whether to remove Yoon from office or to reinstate him.

'Changing political wind'

Kim "made it clear that he is basically taking the side of Yoon", said Joung W Hwang, a United States-licensed lawyer in Seoul. "But I think overall it will have a very low impact on how the court will review the issue."

Yoon's lawyers "are not making that many credible arguments in court", Hwang told China Daily. "It almost seems like they are directly addressing Yoon's supporters "and are "more interested in changing the political wind in South Korea".

Hwang said he expects Yoon's legal team to keep delaying things as much as possible in the hope that the political fortune will change. This includes how he will deal with the investigation to be carried out by government prosecutors.

Before Thursday's hearing, the Corruption Investigation Office probing the martial law declaration said it had transferred Yoon's case to prosecutors for indictment over charges of leading an insurrection and abuse of power.

The CIO does not have indictment powers against a president.

The prosecution said it would immediately start an investigation. It was expected to indict Yoon around Feb 5.

kelly@chinadailyapac.com

SEOUL -- South Korea's anti-corruption agency said on Thursday it has decided to refer the arrested President Yoon Suk-yeol's "insurrection case" to the prosecution, according to multiple media outlets.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) decided to transfer the case to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, demanding the indictment of Yoon as the CIO has no right to indict the president.

Yoon was apprehended in the presidential office on Jan 15, becoming the country's first sitting president to be arrested. A warrant to extend the detention of Yoon for up to 20 days, including the arrest period, was granted by a Seoul court on Jan 19.

The CIO and the prosecution agreed to jointly investigate Yoon's "insurrection" charge by questioning the impeached president for 10 respective days.

The prosecution was widely expected to indict Yoon for the "insurrection" and other charges around Feb 5.

Yoon rejected the CIO's repeated call to appear for questioning.

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 a martial law on the night of Dec 3, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

SEOUL — South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol appeared at the Constitutional Court for the first time on Tuesday, and vowed to cooperate with the judges who will decide whether to remove him from office.

The country was plunged into political chaos by Yoon's Dec 3 martial law declaration, which lasted just six hours before lawmakers voted it down.

They later impeached him, stripping him of his duties. He also became the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested in a criminal probe on insurrection grounds.

Thousands of protesters — both for and against Yoon — flocked to the Constitutional Court, which is holding hearings to decide whether to uphold his impeachment.

"I will respond to any questions or provide further remarks if necessary," Yoon told the judge.

Yoon was asked during the hearing whether he had instructed top military commanders to "drag out "lawmakers from parliament to prevent them from voting down his martial law decree.

"No," he told the judge.

Court spokesperson Cheon Jaehyun told reporters that Yoon's legal team has requested to call "at least 24 individuals" as witnesses, including election-related officials.

Yoon, who remains head of state, is being held in a detention center pending a criminal probe on charges of insurrection.

Shortly after the hearing, the Corruption Investigation Office probing the martial law declaration said it had sent six investigators and a prosecutor to the detention center to question Yoon, who has been refusing to submit to their questioning.

However, the van escorting Yoon was seen traveling to a hospital in Seoul, instead of the detention center.

The Justice Ministry said Yoon went for "a medical treatment", based on results of a medical exam the previous day.

If the court rules against Yoon, he will lose the presidency and elections will be called within 60 days.

The prosecution lawyers, who were selected by the parliament, slammed the comments made by Yoon and his lawyers as "largely contradictory, irrational and unclear, making them entirely incomprehensible".

"If they continue to evade responsibility as they did today, it will only work against them in the impeachment trial and cause even greater disappointment among the public," they added.

Yoon stayed away from the first two hearings last week, but the trial, which could last months, will continue even if he is absent.

Yoon has also been refusing to submit to separate questioning by the Corruption Investigation Office, the body in charge of the criminal probe into his martial law declaration.

It said it had attempted to compel him to attend but because of the "suspect's continued refusal to cooperate", they abandoned the efforts.

On Saturday, Yoon attended a hearing at the Seoul Western District Court on whether to extend his detention. When it was extended, hundreds of pro-Yoon protesters attacked the court building and scuffled with police officers. Dozens were arrested.

'Riling public opinion'

The impeached president's decision to start showing up at the Constitutional Court hearing is more about inflaming his die-hard supporters than helping the judicial process along, legal expert Kim Nam-ju said.

"Whether it's the legal representative speaking or Yoon himself speaking, it's nearly the same — it's more about riling public opinion," Kim told AFP.

But whatever Yoon's motives, "from the perspective of the Constitutional Court judges, hearing directly from the defendant is far more significant", he said.

Kim added that Yoon's refusal to engage in the criminal investigation into his martial law declaration will not work in his favor overall, even if he continues showing up at the Constitutional Court.

"Refusing to comply with the warrant execution and declining to testify will gradually be considered as factors unfavorable to his case in the impeachment trial," said Kim.

"It shows they are not adhering to the legal framework."

Yoon has claimed the criminal probe is illegal and resisted arrest for weeks, vowing to "fight to the end".

Agencies Via Xinhua

SEOUL -- The South Korean Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) said Monday it is considering the possibility of forcibly summoning and questioning detained President Yoon Suk-yeol, following his continuous refusal to comply with detention investigations on two occasions.

The CIO made the statement during a press conference Monday, saying that measures such as conducting the investigation directly at the detention center are not ruled out, according to local media.

The CIO had summoned Yoon to appear for questioning at 10:00 a.m. on Monday. However, Yoon's legal team said that it would be difficult for him to comply with the summons. It was the second time Yoon had refused the CIO's request for questioning since his formal detention on Sunday.

If Yoon continues to refuse the investigation, the CIO might consider measures such as forcibly removing him from the detention center for questioning or conducting the interrogation on-site at the detention center, reported Yonhap News Agency.

SEOUL — Hundreds of supporters of South Korea's arrested President Yoon Suk-yeol stormed a court building on Sunday after his detention was extended, smashing windows and breaking inside, an attack the country's acting leader called "unimaginable".

Yoon on Wednesday became the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested as he faces allegations of insurrection related to his short-lived Dec 3 declaration of martial law that has plunged the country into political turmoil.

Shortly after the Seoul Western District Court announced the extension of Yoon's detention around 3 am on Sunday, his supporters swarmed the building, overwhelming the riot police trying to keep them at bay.

Protesters blasted fire extinguishers at lines of police guarding the front entrance, then flooded inside, destroying office equipment, fittings and furniture, footage showed.

Police restored order a few hours later, saying they had arrested 46 protesters and vowing to track down the others involved.

"The government expresses strong regret over the illegal violence ... which is unimaginable in a democratic society," acting President Choi Sang-mok said in a statement, adding he ordered the police to sternly investigate the incident.

Nine police officers were injured in the chaos, Yonhap reported.

With Yoon refusing to be questioned, investigators facing a deadline on detaining the president asked the court on Friday to extend his custody.

After a five-hour hearing on Saturday, a judge granted a new warrant extending Yoon's detention for up to 20 days, because of "concern that the suspect may destroy evidence".

On Sunday, Yoon's People Power Party called the court's decision to extend his detention a "great pity".

The main opposition Democratic Party said the decision was a "cornerstone" for rebuilding order.

Agencies via Xinhua

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.