South Korean officials pause attempt to detain president

Investigators in Seoul on Friday suspended their efforts to arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol following his impeachment last month. About 80 police officers entered the presidential compound in Seoul early Friday to take Yoon into custody for questioning, the country’s Corruption Investigation Office said in a media statement. More officers joined and reportedly engaged in an hours-long standoff with soldiers and members of a presidential security detail. Outside, protesters in favor of his arrest became involved in altercations with those supporting the president, the office said. 

Investigators on Friday called off their attempt to serve the arrest warrant, though the warrant is valid through Monday, Jan. 6. If it detains him, the anti-corruption agency will have two days to investigate Yoon and either release him or request a warrant for his formal arrest. Yoon has vowed to fight efforts to remove him.

How did we get here? Yoon on Dec. 3 briefly declared martial law in the country to suppress what he called pro-North Korean activities. Opposition lawmakers then voted to impeach the conservative leader and launched an investigation into his actions. South Korea’s parliament late last month impeached Prime Minister Han Duck-soo after he, acting as president after Yoon’s impeachment, declined to fill three Constitutional Court vacancies. Han also vetoed the investigation into Yoon. If Yoon is removed he will be the second South Korean leader in a decade to be taken out of office after lawmakers impeached former President Park Geun-Hye in 2017.

Dig deeper: Read my report about South Korea’s probe into a plane crash earlier this week that killed 179 people.