Yonhap reported that at 7:30 a.m. (local time) on January 15, dozens of police officers crossed the fence and entered the central Seoul area to execute an arrest warrant and search Mr. Yoon's residence. Investigators used ladders to access the presidential palace grounds in Seoul.
They were earlier stopped by the Presidential Security Force, which had set up a vehicle barricade at the entrance to the presidential palace.
In addition, investigators were obstructed by a group of People Power Party lawmakers and Mr. Yoon's lawyers.
Some investigators attempted to access the campus via a nearby hiking trail.
“This is not fair enforcement of the law,” said Mr. Yoon’s lawyer Yun Gap-geun, calling the investigators’ actions “unlawful.”
Meanwhile, police used loudspeakers to warn that any obstruction of the order would result in arrest.
A large crowd gathered outside the palace, with police estimating that around 6,500 supporters of the impeached president were present. Around 3,000 police officers were deployed to ensure security, and scuffles broke out between investigators and Yoon supporters. Firefighters were also on hand to help a middle-aged woman who collapsed at the scene.
Earlier this month, investigators failed to arrest Mr. Yoon after hours of tense confrontation with his security team at the residence, where he had been hiding since the National Assembly passed a resolution to impeach him on December 14, 2024.
The Seoul Western District Court issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Yoon after he ignored three summonses from investigators to answer questions over a failed attempt to impose martial law on December 3. The warrants were extended last week and are effective until January 21.
The case continues to attract great attention from the Korean public, as debates over law and political power continue to rage.
