South Korean agency asks police to take over efforts to detain president

Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions shout slogans during a rally demanding the arrest of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol (Lee Jin-man/AP)

South Korea’s anti-corruption agency has requested that police take over efforts to detain impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol after its investigators failed to bring him to custody following an hours-long stand-off with the presidential security service last week.

The agency and police confirmed the discussion on Monday, hours before the one-week warrant for Mr Yoon’s detention was to expire.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials will likely seek a new court warrant to extend the window for Mr Yoon’s detention, according to police.

A supporter of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shouts slogans during a rally to oppose his impeachment near the presidential residence in Seoul (Ahn Young-joon/AP)

The Seoul Western District Court issued a warrant to detain Mr Yoon on December 31 after he dodged several requests by investigators to appear for questioning.

The anti-corruption agency, which leads a joint investigation with police and military investigators, is weighing charges of rebellion after the conservative president, apparently frustrated that his policies were blocked by a legislature dominated by the liberal opposition, declared martial law in December and dispatched troops to surround the National Assembly.

Hundreds of South Koreans rallied near Mr Yoon’s residence for hours into the early hours on Monday, wrapping themselves in silver-coated mats against the freezing temperatures.

It was their second consecutive night of protests, with demonstrators calling for his ouster and arrest.

Mr Yoon’s lawyers have challenged the detention and search warrants against the president, saying they cannot be enforced at his residence due to a law that protects locations potentially linked to military secrets from search without the consent of the person in charge — which would be Mr Yoon.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks at the presidential residence in Seoul (South Korean Presidential Office via AP)

They also argue the anti-corruption office lacks the legal authority to investigate rebellion charges and that police officers do not have the legal authority to assist in detaining Mr Yoon.

Mr Yoon’s legal team has said it will file complaints against the anti-corruption agency’s chief prosecutor, Oh Dong-woon, and approximately 150 investigators and police officers involved in Friday’s detention attempt, which they claim was unlawful.

The team said it would also file complaints with public prosecutors against the country’s acting defence minister and police chief for ignoring the presidential security service’s request to provide additional forces to block the detention attempt.