At approximately 5:00 a.m., about 500 investigators — including CIO officers, police, and detectives — arrived at the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, near central Seoul, to execute arrest warrants for Yoon and two senior officials from the Presidential Security Service.
During the briefing, a CIO official stated, "Prosecutors, including a deputy chief prosecutor, have entered the residence and are coordinating the execution of the arrest warrant. The outcome is yet to be determined." The official reiterated that the primary goal is enforcing the warrant, dismissing the possibility of a voluntary surrender. "Our objective is to execute the warrant, not to consider voluntary surrender for now," the official added.
At around 8:30 a.m., CIO and police investigators entered the residence, where Yoon’s legal team proposed the president's voluntary surrender. Despite this, Yoon’s legal representatives continue to challenge the validity of the arrest warrant, calling it "unconstitutional" and asserting, "There is no legal basis for the warrant execution," while adding, "The president is a constitutional body, and any attempt to execute the warrant constitutes an illegal act of rebellion."
This marks the second attempt to arrest the suspended president. During the initial attempt on January 3, approximately 150 CIO officers withdrew after encountering significant resistance from armed presidential guards and barricades constructed with buses and vehicles. On Wednesday, however, the arrest operation progressed with minimal physical confrontation, as the Presidential Security Service did not actively block the investigators' efforts.
The arrest warrant is tied to Yoon's controversial declaration of emergency martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. In a surprise televised address at around 10:30 p.m., Yoon justified the move as necessary to counter "pro-North Korean forces and anti-government activities" threatening South Korea’s constitutional order. Martial forces, including special units from the Special Warfare Command, were deployed to critical government facilities, including the National Assembly.
Public backlash to the declaration was swift and overwhelming. On December 14, the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against Yoon with a vote of 204 to 85, suspending him from office. Millions of citizens took to the streets, with protest organizers estimating that around three million people rallied in central Seoul, including Yeouido near the National Assembly, to demand Yoon's immediate resignation.
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