South Korean anti-corruption agency receives new court warrant to detain impeached President Yoon

A satellite image shows the official residence of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, South Korea.
| Photo Credit: Airbus via Google/Reuters

South Korea’s anti-corruption agency says it has received a new court warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol after its previous attempt was blocked by the presidential security service last week.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials on Tuesday (January 7, 2025) did not immediately confirm how long the warrant would remain valid.

The Seoul Western District Court last week had initially issued a warrant to detain Yoon and a separate warrant to search his residence after he defied authorities by refusing to appear for questioning over Dec. 3 martial law decree.

Dozens of anti-corruption agency investigators and assisting police officers attempted to detain Yoon on Friday but retreated from his residence in Seoul after a tense standoff with the presidential security service that lasted more than five hours. The investigators did not make another attempt to detain Yoon before the previous court warrants expired on Monday.