In a dramatic turn of events, riot police abandoned their attempt to arrest South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol after a six-hour standoff with his supporters and security detail. The president defied a warrant for his arrest, prompting a tense confrontation that saw citizens form human shields to protect him.
Riot cops have abandoned their unprecedented attempt to arrest South Korea ’s president after a six-hour stand-off with his personal bodyguards. Presidential guards (PSS), military troops and supporters loyal to Yoon Suk Yeol formed a blockade around his compound to prevent the arrest. A warrant for his arrest was granted on Tuesday after Yoon ignored multiple summons for questioning and is valid until January 6.
The office of the Chief of Investigation (CIO) said: “It was judged that it was virtually impossible to execute the arrest warrant due to the ongoing standoff.” Police turned up to Yoon’s residence at around 7am local time but encountered a crowd of supporters who had surrounded it before dawn. The Yoon loyalists vowed to block the arrest “with our lives” and some chanted 'President Yoon Suk Yeol will be protected by the people.” The forces managed to enter the compound on foot, but then encountered a 200-strong human shield of Presidential Security Service (PSS) guards and soldiers. An official said the defending forces formed several layers of human chains to block access to the president. The CIO abandoned the arrest at around 1:30pm due to concerns over the safety of its enforcers. It announced that the chief and deputy of the PSS bodyguards are now under investigation for obstruction of official duty and summoned them for questioning on Saturday. After the failed arrest, Yoon’s legal team blasted the CIO’s attempt to “forcibly execute an illegal and invalid arrest and search warrant' in a sensitive security area. Yoon is alleged to have told a defence commander to 'break down the doors , even if it means shooting.' But the martial law decree was only in place for six hours as Yoon buckled to public pressure and mass protests that quickly formed. Elite special forces soldiers armed with high powered rifles had already stormed the parliament and were given permission to shoot. Seoul residents turned up to the parliament and protested - forming a human shield against the heavily armed troop
SOUTH KOREA PRESIDENT ARRETS STANDOFF PROTESTS
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