Seoul: Police and anti-corruption agency officials gathered Tuesday to discuss plans to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, amid indications that investigators may again attempt to take Yoon into custody as early as Wednesday, according to sources familiar with the matter.
According to Yonhap News Agency, investigators from the National Office of Investigation, police teams in the wider Seoul area, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) convened earlier in the day to strategize on Yoon's detention over his short-lived martial law imposition. During this meeting, CIO officials acquired necessary equipment, including loudspeakers and batteries for body-worn cameras.
The officials also discussed logistical measures to secure entry to the presidential residence in central Seoul, which has been heavily fortified with barbed wire and barricades. The operation is tentatively scheduled for as early as 5 a.m. Wednesday, although the timing may be adjusted due to the scale of the operation, which is expected to involve around 1,000 police investigators.
This follows a previous failed attempt to execute the warrant on January 3, when investigators were engaged in a standoff with Yoon's security personnel, preventing them from accessing the residence. Earlier on Tuesday, police and the state anti-corruption agency sought cooperation from the Presidential Security Service for the warrant's execution, but they have yet to receive a response.