South Korean law enforcement officials Friday (Jan 3) halted attempts to arrest impeached president Yoon Suk-Yeol following a standoff with a military unit inside the presidential residence.

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“Regarding the execution of the arrest warrant today, it was determined that the execution was effectively impossible due to the ongoing standoff. Concern for the safety of personnel on-site led to the decision to halt the execution,” said the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) in a statement.

In what was a police vs army scene, officials from the CIO earlier stormed into the residence but were blocked by “a military unit inside”, reported Yonhap news agency.

The CIO officials were confronted by security service members and a scuffle broke out.

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The Presidential Security Service apparently refused to comply with the arrest warrant.

Seok Dong-hyeon, one of several lawyers on Yoon’s legal team, was quoted as saying by news agency Associated Press that the CIO team arrived at the building but it was unlikely they would be able to detain the president.

He also accused the “reckless” CIO officials of showing an “outrageous discard for law.”

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Also read: Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol resists arrest for third day, vows to 'fight to the end'

Yonhap reported that the Presidential Security Service has said it won’t allow the CIO to enter the residence and detain the president.

“The execution of a warrant that is illegal and invalid is indeed not lawful,” said Yoon Kap-keun, Yoon’s lawyer. “legal actions will be taken regarding the illegal execution of the warrant,” he added.

If CIO officials eventually manage to detain the president, Yoon would become the first leader in the country's history to be arrested while in office.

CIO issues warning

Meanwhile, the chief of the CIO, Oh Dong-woon, warned that anybody trying to thwart Yoon's arrest could face prosecution. 

North Korea's rare comment

North Korea, in a rare comment, said Friday that the South was in “chaos” and paralysed politically amid the ongoing crisis involving the impeached president.

“A detention warrant was issued for the president, paralysing state affairs and further deepening social and political chaos,” wrote state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

(With inputs from agencies)