South Korean investigators in martial law probe en route to arrest impeached president

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South Korean investigators head to Seoul in attempt to detain impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol.

Yoon supporters gather at his residence, vowing to block authorities

Yoon Suk Yeol speaks at the presidential residence in Seoul in December 2024. South Korean investigators are heading to Seoul in attempt to detain the impeached president. (South Korean Presidential Office/Yonhap/The Associated Press)

South Korea’s anti-corruption agency has dispatched investigators to execute a warrant to detain impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol, as hundreds of his supporters are gathered at his residence in Seoul, vowing to block their approach. 

Investigators of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials were seen loading boxes into several vehicles before leaving their building in the city of Gwacheon early Friday. 

The office didn’t immediately confirm how many investigators were sent. 

A Seoul court issued a warrant for Yoon’s detention after he evaded multiple requests to appear for questioning and blocked searches of his office in Seoul, hindering an investigation into whether his short-lived power grab on Dec. 3 amounted to rebellion.

In a message to conservative supporters rallying outside, Yoon said he will “fight to the end” against “anti-state forces.” His legal team warned Thursday that police officers attempting to detain him could face arrest by his presidential security service or even by civilians.

Police officers drag away a pro-Yoon protester outside of his official residence in Seoul on Thursday. (Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

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