S. Korean investigators head for residence to arrest President Yoon

SEOUL -- A group of South Korean investigators of the anti-corruption investigation body headed for the presidential residence in central Seoul from Gwacheon, south of Seoul, to arrest the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol, multiple media outlets said Friday.

The investigators with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) departed from their office in Gwacheon in five vehicles at about 6:14 am local time (2114 GMT Thursday) to execute the arrest warrant against Yoon, which was issued by a Seoul court Tuesday.

It was expected to take at least half an hour to get to the presidential residence during the morning rush hours.

About 3,000 riot policemen were reportedly deployed to the residence for the execution of the arrest warrant.

The CIO has been investigating Yoon's martial law imposition jointly with the National Office of Investigation (NOI) and the defense ministry's investigation headquarters.

Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on insurrection charge, declared a martial law on the night of Dec 3, 2024, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed in the National Assembly on Dec 14 and was delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's power is suspended.