Political instability in South Korea intensified on Monday as investigators sought an extension to the arrest warrant for suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol.
The move came after the country’s anti-corruption agency asked the police to take over the execution of the warrant.
The warrant was due to expire at 3pm local time on Monday. “The validity of the warrant expires today. We plan to request an extension from the court today,” Lee Jae Seung, deputy director of the Corruption Investigation Office, or CIO, said.
The CIO had sought police assistance to detain Mr Yoon and would coordinate with them regarding the extension, he added.
The police have not agreed to the request yet.
Mr Yoon has resisted efforts by the agency to detain him, prompting it to involve the police. The impeached leader remains holed up inside the presidential palace, where his security service prevented investigators from executing the arrest warrant on Friday, leading to a six-hour standoff.
The CIO said in a statement it had notified the police to take charge of executing the warrant for the president. The warrant was issued by the Seoul Western District Court on 31 December after Mr Yoon repeatedly failed to comply with the CIO’s summons for questioning over his shortlived declaration of martial law earlier that month.
“The CIO sent us an official letter requesting our cooperation without prior consultations,” a police official told the state news agency Yonhap. “We are internally carrying out a legal review.”
Mr Yoon imposed martial law on 3 December but it was quickly overturned by the parliament, despite attempts by the security forces to prevent lawmakers from voting.
Mr Yoon’s lawyers maintain that the warrant is “illegal” and are pursuing further legal action. Mr Yoon’s legal team filed complaints on Monday against the head of the anti-corruption agency and 10 others over last week’s failed attempt to detain him, local media reported.
South Korea’s Constitutional Court has scheduled Mr Yoon’s impeachment trial to start on 14 January, and it will proceed in his absence if he chooses not to attend.
Meanwhile, US secretary of state Antony Blinken is visiting Seoul to meet top officials and reaffirm the US-South Korea alliance amid the country’s political turmoil.
Additional reporting by agencies.
