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South Korean authorities halt President Yoon Suk-yeol after standoff

South Korean authorities have suspended their attempt to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol following an hours-long standoff with his security team at his residence in central Seoul.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) announced on Friday that it was forced to halt its efforts to detain Yoon over his brief declaration of martial law, which has sparked allegations of insurrection and abuse of power.

The CIO stated that the execution of the arrest warrant was “effectively impossible” due to the ongoing standoff, emphasizing concerns for the safety of personnel on-site. Investigators had arrived early Friday morning to detain Yoon, but were blocked from entering his compound by the Presidential Security Service (PSS), which cited restrictions on access to areas potentially linked to military secrets.

A large contingent of PSS personnel and soldiers formed a human chain to prevent investigators from carrying out their duties, outnumbering the CIO and police. Speculation has been rife about when and how authorities would manage to take Yoon into custody, especially after a Seoul court granted prosecutors an arrest warrant earlier this week.

The arrest warrant remains valid until January 6, allowing investigators only 48 hours to detain Yoon once he is arrested. They must then decide whether to request a detention warrant or release him. If apprehended, Yoon would become the first sitting president in South Korean history to be detained.

Yoon’s lawyer, Yoon Kap-keun, criticized the investigators for allegedly acting beyond their authority. Meanwhile, the interim head of Yoon’s People Power Party welcomed the suspension of the arrest attempt, advocating for the investigation to proceed without detaining the former president.

The liberal opposition Democratic Party has urged Acting President Choi Sang-mok to intervene and order the presidential security service to stand down, stressing the need to prevent further chaos. Lawmaker Jo Seung-lae warned against dragging public officials into the ongoing political turmoil.

In a defiant New Year’s message to supporters gathered outside his residence, Yoon vowed to “fight until the end to protect this country together with you,” defending his martial law decree as necessary to address perceived threats and investigate unsubstantiated claims of election fraud.

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