South Korean police poised to execute arrest warrant for president Yoon

South Korea's anti-corruption agency, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), has requested police to take over the execution of an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The request follows a failed attempt to arrest the president on January 3, which resulted in a tense stand-off with presidential guards, who formed a human chain to block the investigators' access, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

A joint team of investigators from the CIO and the police are currently probing allegations that President Yoon orchestrated an insurrection with his brief declaration of martial law. The CIO made the request to the police on January 6, acknowledging frustration from critics who have expressed dissatisfaction with the agency's inability to carry out the arrest warrant, which is due to expire at midnight (1500 GMT).

A police official confirmed to the Yonhap news agency that they are reviewing the request internally. Yoon's legal team, however, argues that the CIO lacks the authority to investigate the president on charges of insurrection, citing the limits of the agency's powers under South Korean law.

On January 5 the Seoul Western District Court dismissed an injunction filed by Yoon's lawyers, which sought to invalidate the warrants for his arrest and a search of his official residence. The political tensions surrounding the case have drawn international attention, particularly following Yoon's controversial imposition of martial law last month, which led to political unrest in South Korea and elicited rare criticism from Washington.

This week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting South Korea, where he is set to meet with senior government officials to reaffirm the alliance between Seoul and Washington. Blinken's visit follows the political turmoil sparked by Yoon's martial law declaration and underscores the international significance of the ongoing crisis in South Korean politics.

The CIO, an independent agency established in January 2021 to investigate high-ranking officials, does not have the authority to prosecute the president. By law, it must refer cases involving the president to the prosecutors' office for further action, including possible indictment, after questioning is completed.

To recap, Yoon is under criminal investigation for insurrection over his December 3, 2024, martial law attempt that stunned South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy and one of the region's most vibrant democracies.

An arrest would be the first for an incumbent South Korean president.

By Aghakazim Guliyev