SEOUL, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- As the arrest warrant against South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol was extended, investigators are preparing a second attempt to detain Yoon. They have expressed their resolution that the second attempt will be the final.
Experts believe that uncertainty remains in the second operation to arrest Yoon as political contention between South Korea's ruling and opposition parties will continue to weigh on the situation.
WHY THE 1ST ATTEMPT FAILED?
Investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) initiated the first operation to arrest Yoon on Jan. 3 but failed after the attempt was resisted by the presidential security service.
According to local media, the security service refused to cooperate with the arrest warrant, citing the Presidential Security Act as justification, and mobilized military forces to create three defensive lines to stop the CIO investigators.
Wang Sheng, a professor at China's Jilin University, said the security service argued that the Seoul Western District Court and the CIO lacked the jurisdiction to arrest a sitting president, labeling their entry into the residence as illegal.
Political contention between South Korea's ruling and opposition parties is the deep reason for the failed operation, said Guo Rui, deputy director of the Institute of National Development and Security Studies of Jilin University.
The first arrest attempt lacked resolve from judicial and investigative authorities due to political calculations, and Yoon exploited South Korea's constitutional system to employ "technical blockades," said Guo.
STRATEGY FOR 2ND ARREST ATTEMPT
The CIO and police agreed earlier this month to coordinate a second arrest attempt under the "joint investigation unit." In the meantime, the police on Jan. 8 ordered to mobilize more officers from capital areas in a "huge-crowd strategy" to break through the security service's resistance.
According to Yonhap, the police on Friday convened a meeting of field commanders ahead of the second attempt over Yoon's botched imposition of martial law.
The National Office of Investigation (NOI) ordered leaders of the police investigation teams of Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and other jurisdictions in the capital area to gather at the NOI headquarters to discuss planning for the second detention attempt.
While details of the mobilization are pending, local media reports suggest that the combined manpower to be used in the second attempt may exceed 1,000 officers.
A THIRD ATTEMPT?
Difficulties remain in the second attempt, according to experts. They said the prolonged turmoil has fortified the presidential residence where Yoon stays into a "fortress."
The presidential security service parked large buses in overlapping rows at the residence gate, forming a vehicle barrier. Barbed wire has been added to the gates and walls, and military vehicles capable of disrupting drones are reportedly deployed inside the residence, according to local media.
Wang said that Acting President Choi Sang-mok's remark that there should be no physical conflict between government agencies while executing Yoon's arrest warrant plays a role in protecting Yoon, adding that crowds of Yoon's supporters and ruling party lawmakers have gathered around the presidential residence, intensifying the risk of serious consequences if clashes occur.
South Korean investigators said that the second attempt represents their "final effort" to execute the arrest, with meticulous preparations in place.
However, if the second attempt fails, the investigators might pursue alternative measures, such as impeaching acting President Choi, prosecuting the security service, and intensifying enforcement efforts, said Wang.
If the arrest warrant fails again, a stricter warrant could be sought to ensure the operation's success, Wang said, adding that despite the difficulties, the joint investigation unit is likely to continue pursuing actions against Yoon through other measures. ■
