Yoon Suk Yeol
Yoon Suk YeolReuters

Authorities attempted on Friday to execute an arrest warrant for impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, as a crowd of protesters clashed with police outside his residence, vowing to block any effort to detain him, Reuters reported.

Yoon is under criminal investigation for insurrection related to his short-lived martial law declaration on December 3.

Officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) arrived at the gates of Yoon's compound shortly after 7:00 a.m. local time on Friday morning, leading a joint team that included police and prosecutors, according to Reuters.

South Korea’s official Yonhap news agency reported that approximately 3,000 police officers were mobilized in preparation for the operation.

It remained unclear whether the Presidential Security Service, which previously blocked investigators armed with a search warrant from accessing Yoon's office and official residence, would intervene to prevent the arrest. Media outlets reported that CIO vehicles did not immediately enter the compound.

Protesters began gathering near Yoon's residence in the early hours before dawn, and their numbers swelled into the hundreds following media reports that authorities were preparing to execute the arrest warrant approved on Tuesday after Yoon refused to appear for a summons.

Yoon caused a national uproar with his late-night December 3 announcement imposing martial law, claiming it was necessary to overcome political deadlock and eliminate "anti-state forces." However, within hours, 190 lawmakers defied military and police cordons to vote against his order. Approximately six hours later, Yoon rescinded the decree.

Defending his actions, Yoon alleged that domestic political opponents were sympathetic to North Korea and cited unverified claims of election tampering.

Yoon's legal team has argued that the arrest warrant is illegal and invalid, asserting that the CIO lacks the authority under South Korean law to request such a warrant.