On the morning of the 3rd, South Korea's Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CPIB) initiated the procedure to execute an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol, leading to a standoff with military and police inside the residence.
According to South Korean media reports, the director of the presidential security office did not permit investigators to search the presidential residence to carry out the arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol.
In response, the opposition party Democratic Party of Korea urged Yoon Suk-yeol to come out of the residence and cooperate with the arrest.
Kim Seong-hui, the spokesperson for the Democratic Party, issued a statement on the 3rd, criticizing Yoon Suk-yeol for "despicably hiding inside the residence," and called for him to come out voluntarily and "obediently comply with the arrest warrant."
Kim Seong-hui pointed out that "the cost of a crisis in South Korea's democracy is high" and "South Korea is a nation ruled by law, and everyone should cooperate with the legal arrest warrant for suspects of sedition," stating that "regardless of what happens, strict law enforcement cannot be obstructed against suspects of sedition."
The presidential security chief earlier refused to cooperate with the arrest warrant, citing "non-permission for residence search," leading to a tense atmosphere at the scene.
On the morning of the 3rd, at around 7:21 am, the CPIB's emergency guard workgroup arrived in front of the presidential residence located in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul, and entered the inside of the residence after removing roadblocks at around 8:02 am. A total of 150 personnel were involved in executing the arrest warrant, including 30 CPIB officials and 120 from the police special investigation team; 80 have entered the residence, while the remaining 70 are on standby outside.