Their attempt to arrest the embattled president came several days after the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) obtained an arrest warrant for Yoon earlier this week, following his repeated refusal to respond to summons.
A team of 30 investigators left their office in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, earlier in the day and arrived at Yoon's residence around 7:30 a.m., accompanied by about 120 police officers. They managed to enter the presidential compound shortly after their arrival but clashed with security officials who blocked their entry, leading to an hours-long standoff.
They are expected to make another attempt to arrest Yoon over the weekend before his arrest warrant expires on Jan. 6. If arrested, investigators can hold him for up to 48 hours.
Yoon, who had previously advocated that all individuals must be treated equally under the law regardless of their status, has been refusing to comply with the warrant, claiming that the CIO lacks the jurisdiction and authority to investigate him on charges of insurrection and abuse of power.
His legal representatives said that they will seek legal action in response to the warrant, which they deem "illegal and invalid."
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