The failed attempt to arrest S Korea president explained

Six hours aft South Korean constabulary descended connected the location of suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol - and aft a sustained standoff with his information squad - they called disconnected an effort to apprehension him.

"We've determined that the apprehension is practically impossible," said the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which has been investigating Yoon's short-lived martial instrumentality declaration past month.

Yoon's "refusal of the ineligible process" is "deeply regrettable", the CIO said, adding that adjacent steps volition beryllium decided aft a review.

Yoon's supporters, who person been camped retired successful beforehand of the statesmanlike residence for days, cheered successful opus and creation arsenic the suspension was announced. "We won!" they chanted.

The CIO said that interest for the information of the squad connected the crushed was different origin successful their determination to telephone disconnected the attempted arrest.

This improvement is not unexpected, fixed Yoon's defiance passim the probe process.

Over the past 2 weeks the disgraced person had already ignored 3 summonses issued for him to look for questioning, starring a Seoul tribunal to issue a warrant for his arrest aboriginal this week.

Experts accidental that arsenic a erstwhile main prosecutor, Yoon is good alert of the ineligible loopholes disposable for his defence.

Investigators person until 6 January to apprehension him earlier the existent warrant expires.

This means they whitethorn effort to apprehension Yoon again implicit the weekend, though this could beryllium logistically challenging arsenic the crowds are apt to swell.

They tin besides use for a caller warrant and effort to detain him again.

Since aboriginal greeting connected Friday, dozens of constabulary vans lined the thoroughfare extracurricular Yoon's residence successful cardinal Seoul.

At astir 08:00 section clip (23:00 GMT), an apprehension squad made up of constabulary officers and CIO members marched towards the compound.

This started retired with a 20-strong team, but rapidly multiplied to immoderate 150 people.

While astir fractional of the apprehension squad was capable to get inside, they were locked for hours successful a standoff with information officers - who are inactive liable for protecting Yoon, contempt him being stripped of his powers - and a subject portion liable for protecting the metropolis of Seoul.

At 1 constituent the information squad engaged successful a "confrontation with the CIO astatine the statesmanlike residence", an authoritative with Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff told AFP.

Before the effort was stood down, Yoon's information squad told the quality bureau they had been "in negotiation" with the investigators who sought to entree the president.

Yoon's ineligible squad was besides seen entering the residence somewhat past noon section time.

His lawyer Yoon Gab-keun earlier said they would instrumentality ineligible enactment implicit the apprehension warrant, arguing that investigators lacked the authorization to detain him.

Meanwhile, Park Chan-dae, the level person of the main absorption Democratic Party, has criticised Yoon for not upholding his promise to instrumentality ineligible and governmental responsibility for his botched martial instrumentality attempt.

"[It was] a implicit lie," Park said, urging the CIO to effort to apprehension Yoon again today.

The CIO, which has lone been operating for 4 years, was created successful effect to nationalist choler implicit erstwhile president Park Geun-hye and her excesses. She was impeached by parliament successful December 2016, and removed from bureau 3 months after.

The grade of the CIO's jurisdiction, however, has been challenged by different agencies - and its nonaccomplishment to woody with Yoon could beryllium seen arsenic an embarrassingly loss.

South Korea has been successful governmental chaos since Yoon's martial instrumentality effort connected 3 Dec.

Days and nights of protestation culminated successful the opposition-dominated parliament voting to impeach him connected 14 December, their 2nd effort to bash so.

On Friday, prosecutors besides indicted connected insurrection charges service main Park An-su, who was named martial instrumentality commandant during the little declaration, and peculiar forces commandant Kwak Jong-geun, according to Seoul-based quality outlet Yonhap.

They are to look proceedings portion successful prison.