SEOUL, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) on Friday called on the country's acting president to facilitate the execution of an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol.
The anti-corruption investigative unit asked Choi Sang-mok to use his commanding and supervision authorities in capacity of the acting president by ordering the presidential security service to cooperate with the CIO's move for Yoon's arrest.
The CIO made the appeal after it failed in an attempt to arrest Yoon earlier in the day, saying the execution of an arrest warrant against Yoon was deemed impossible given the presidential security service's persistent refusal to cooperate.
CIO investigative officers left the presidential residence after failing to arrest the embattled president, noting they stopped the execution at about 1:30 p.m. local time over concerns about the safety of the investigators at the scene.
The CIO expressed deep regret over the attitude of Yoon who refused to comply with the legal procedures.
The CIO's move for Yoon's arrest came after he refused to meet three summons requests for questioning in a probe by a joint investigation unit consisting of the CIO, the National Office of Investigation and the defense ministry's investigation headquarters.
Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on an insurrection charge, declared a martial law on the night of Dec. 3, 2024, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.
An impeachment motion against Yoon was passed by the parliament on Dec. 14 and delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended. ■
