South Korea courtroom points arrest warrant for impeached president Yoon | USAEMALL.com

ARREST?

Even though the arrest warrant has been issued, it is unclear whether investigators and police will be able to execute it.

The warrant was issued about 33 hours after it was requested – which local media claim is the “longest time in history for a warrant hearing”, indicating the court was debating how to proceed.

The court also approved a search warrant for Yoon’s residence, the CIO said.

The Presidential Security Service has previously refused to comply with three search warrants.

It said on Tuesday that “security measures regarding the execution of the (arrest) warrant will be carried out in accordance with lawful procedures”, in a statement to local media.

But lawyer Yun Bok-nam, president of Lawyers for a Democratic Society, told AFP that while there was a legal basis for rejecting a search warrant, “there’s no such provision for arrest warrants”.

“I expect the (arrest) process will proceed smoothly,” he said, adding that warrants were typically valid seven days and had to be executed within that time frame.

The acting leader of South Korea’s ruling People Power Party, Kweon Seong-dong, said on Tuesday that attempting to detain a sitting president is inappropriate.

Kim Yong-min, a lawmaker in the opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority in parliament and brought on Yoon’s impeachment vote, said on Tuesday “the process of executing the warrant and investigation could be very difficult”, calling for investigators to immediately execute the warrants. 

Police were deployed early on Tuesday outside Yoon’s residence in central Seoul, in a likely bid to head off scuffles.

Yoon’s supporters and protesters calling for his removal have both staked out his residence, with local media running images of altercations between the two camps overnight.

“Up to 3,000 people will move to protest against the unfair and unvalid arrest warrant,” said an official from the largest protest group supporting Yoon.

Local media reported than an imminent arrest or search of the presidential residence was unlikely, as investigators would seek to coordinate with the presidential security service.

Technically, anyone obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant could be arrested.