Why is it so hard to arrest S Korea's impeached president?

There were much than 100 constabulary officers and they were equipped with a warrant - but South Korean authorities failed to apprehension suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol aft a six-hour deadlock extracurricular his home.

That's however agelong the confrontation with Yoon's information squad lasted arsenic they formed a quality partition and utilized vehicles to artifact the apprehension team's path, according to section media.

It has been an unprecedented period for South Korean authorities - Yoon's shocking yet short-lived martial instrumentality bid was followed by an impeachment ballot against him. Then came the transgression investigation, his refusal to look for questioning and, earlier this week, a warrant for his arrest.

The right-wing person inactive has a beardown enactment basal - and thousands of them turned up extracurricular his location connected Friday greeting to reason his arrest.

But, by galore accounts, Yoon is present a disgraced person - impeached by parliament and suspended from office, helium awaits the determination of the law tribunal which tin region him from office.

So wherefore has it proven truthful hard for constabulary to apprehension him?

Although Yoon has been stripped of his statesmanlike powers - aft lawmakers voted to impeach him - helium is inactive entitled to a information detail.

And those men played a cardinal relation successful blocking the apprehension connected Friday.

The statesmanlike information work (PSS) could person acted retired of loyalty to Yoon oregon nether "a misguided knowing of their ineligible and law role", says Mason Richey, an subordinate prof astatine Seoul's Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

Given that Yoon has been suspended, the PSS should beryllium taking directions from acting President Choi Sang-mok. "They person either not been instructed by acting President Choi to basal down, oregon they are refusing his orders to bash so," says Assoc Prof Richey.

Some experts judge the information officers were showing "unconditional loyalty" to Yoon, alternatively than the bureau itself. They constituent to the information that the PSS's main Park Jong-joon was appointed to the occupation by Yoon past September.

"It whitethorn good beryllium the lawsuit that Yoon has seeded the organisation with hardline loyalists successful mentation for precisely this eventuality," says US-based lawyer and Korea adept Christopher Jumin Lee.

And that Park's predecessor was erstwhile defence curate Kim Yong-hyun, who is accused of advising Yoon to enforce martial law. He is presently being held for questioning arsenic portion of the transgression probe into Yoon.

The "simplest" solution, Mr Lee says, is for acting president Choi to bid the PSS to basal down successful the interim.

"If helium is unwilling to bash so, that whitethorn beryllium grounds for his ain impeachment by the National Assembly," helium added.

Choi, who is the concern minister, had stepped successful to pb the state aft lawmakers voted to impeach Yoon's archetypal successor, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

This governmental stalemate besides reflects the polarisation successful South Korean authorities - betwixt those who enactment Yoon, and his decison to enforce martial law, and those who reason it. And the differences don't needfully extremity there.

The immense bulk of South Koreans hold that Yoon's declaration of martial instrumentality connected 3 Dec was incorrect and that helium needs to beryllium held accountable, says Duyeon Kim, an adjunct elder chap astatine the Center for a New American Security - but they cannot hold connected what accountability looks like.

"The actors progressive disagree implicit process, process and their ineligible basis, which is adding to the existent governmental uncertainty," she explains.

That uncertainty is besides creating tense stand-offs similar the 1 that unfolded connected Friday successful and extracurricular Yoon's presidental residence, wherever his supporters person been camping retired for days, starring to heated speeches and adjacent skirmishes with police.

Law enforcement could instrumentality with much agents and usage unit but that would beryllium "highly dangerous," Assoc Prof Mason said.

The PSS excessively is heavy armed, truthful arresting officers would beryllium looking to debar immoderate escalation.

"What happens if the constabulary amusement up with further warrants calling for the apprehension of PSS personnel, [the PSS] defy those warrants arsenic good and past brandish their guns?" Mr Lee asks.

Police person present said they are investigating the PSS manager and his lawman for obstructing them - truthful determination could beryllium much charges and apprehension warrants coming.

The fallout from Yoon's martial instrumentality bid is besides a situation for the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) that is investigating him.

It has lone been operating for 4 years. It was was created successful effect to nationalist choler implicit erstwhile president Park Geun-hye who was impeached, removed from bureau and aboriginal jailed implicit a corruption scandal.

While South Korean presidents person been jailed before, Yoon is the archetypal 1 to look apprehension earlier helium steps down.

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

They whitethorn effort to apprehension Yoon again implicit the weekend, though the play could airs a bigger situation if the crowds of supporters grow. They tin besides use for a caller warrant and effort to detain him again.

Given however acold South Korea has present slid into uncharted territory, the uncertainty is apt to continue.

Additional reporting by Ewe Koh