![This handout photo taken and released on December 7, 2024 by the South Korean Presidential Office shows South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol delivering an address at the Presidential Office in Seoul. - South Korea's embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol stopped short of resigning on December 7 over his declaration of martial law, with a vote to impeach him hours away and mass street protests planned in Seoul. (Photo by Handout / South Korean Presidential Office / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS / “The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Handout has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [2024] instead of [2023]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure...](https://media.rnztools.nz/rnz/image/upload/s--7pB9RnUM--/ar_16:10,c_fill,f_auto,g_auto,q_auto,w_1050/v1733885533/4KFC2P4_AFP__20241207__36PP3UH__v5__HighRes__CorrectionSkoreaPoliticsUnrest_jpg?_a=BACCd2AD)
An arrest warrant for South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, that has not yet been fulfilled, is due to expire at the end of the day. Photo: HANDOUT / AFP
South Korea's anti-corruption agency says it has asked police to take over the execution of an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The request comes after a failed attempt to execute an arrest warrant on Friday, following a tense stand-off with presidential guards who formed a human chain to block access by the investigators.
A joint team of investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and police are probing allegations that Yoon masterminded insurrection with his short-lived imposition of martial law.
The CIO sent a notice to police to request the takeover, the anti-corruption agency said in a statement to reporters.
The move comes amid frustration among Yoon's critics towards the CIO for failing up to now to execute the arrest warrant, which is due to expire at midnight on Monday (4am Tuesday NZT, 1500 GMT).
A police official told the Yonhap news agency that they were "reviewing the law internally", following the request from the CIO.
Yoon's lawyers have argued that the anti-graft force leading his criminal investigation has no authority under South Korean law to investigate any case involving insurrection accusations.
The Seoul Western District Court on Sunday dismissed the injunction which was filed by Yoon's legal team seeking to invalidate the warrants to arrest the president and search his official residence, according to Yonhap.
Amid the ongoing political tensions, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting South Korea this week, where he is due to meet senior government officials to reaffirm the alliance with Seoul, according to the US State Department.
His visit comes after Yoon's short-lived declaration of martial law last month sent South Korea into political chaos, drawing rare rebukes from officials in Washington.
- In photos: Martial law declared in South Korea
The CIO is an independent agency. It was launched in January 2021, to investigate high-ranking officials including the president and their family members, but it does not have authority to prosecute a president.
Instead it is by law required to refer the case to the prosecutors' office to take any action, including indictment once the questioning is over.
- Reuters
![This handout photo taken and released on December 7, 2024 by the South Korean Presidential Office shows South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol delivering an address at the Presidential Office in Seoul. - South Korea's embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol stopped short of resigning on December 7 over his declaration of martial law, with a vote to impeach him hours away and mass street protests planned in Seoul. (Photo by Handout / South Korean Presidential Office / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS / “The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Handout has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [2024] instead of [2023]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure...](https://media.rnztools.nz/rnz/image/upload/s--w5PjzhLH--/ar_16:10,c_fill,f_auto,g_auto,q_auto,w_288/v1733885533/4KFC2P4_AFP__20241207__36PP3UH__v5__HighRes__CorrectionSkoreaPoliticsUnrest_jpg?_a=BACCd2AD)
