South Korea's presidential security chief defies Yoon arrest bid as deadline looms

The chief of security for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stated on Sunday that he could not cooperate with efforts to arrest the impeached leader, potentially escalating the political crisis. Park Chong-jun, the official, cited the legal debate surrounding the arrest warrant as the reason for his lack of cooperation.

"Please refrain from insulting remarks that the presidential security service has been reduced to a private army," Park said in a statement. He emphasized that the service had provided security to all presidents for 60 years, regardless of their political affiliation.

These comments came after a Seoul court rejected a complaint from Yoon's lawyers that the arrest warrant was illegal and invalid. The court did not respond to phone calls for comment.

"Judging the legitimacy of any legal interpretation and execution is difficult," Seok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer advising Yoon, posted on Facebook. "If there is an error in the legality of law enforcement against the incumbent president, it will be a big problem."

Yoon became the first sitting South Korean president to face arrest for his attempted declaration of martial law on December 3, which led to political turmoil. The president was impeached by parliament and is currently suspended from official duties while the Constitutional Court decides whether to reinstate or remove him.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Sunday for talks with senior officials.

On Friday, Yoon's presidential security service and military blocked criminal investigators from arresting him, resulting in a six-hour standoff.

In his statement on Sunday, Park dismissed as "preposterous" an accusation by the opposition Democratic Party that he had ordered security officers to use live ammunition if they were "caught short" during the standoff.

Yoon's lawyers argued that the arrest warrant was unconstitutional because the anti-graft force leading his criminal investigation lacked the authority to investigate cases involving insurrection accusations under South Korean law. They also threatened to report the chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) and the investigators to prosecutors for their alleged illegal efforts to execute the warrant.

The CIO did not respond to requests for comment.

Meanwhile, rallies were held in heavy snow near Yoon's official residence in Seoul, with thousands of protesters demanding his arrest while others opposed it. "We have to re-establish the foundation of our society by punishing the president who has denied the constitution," said Yang Kyung-soo, leader of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), a major labor group involved in the protests. "We must bring down the criminal Yoon Suk Yeol and arrest and detain him as soon as possible."

In response, security officials set up barbed wire and barricades, and protests continued despite the cold temperatures, with some demonstrators camping overnight in downtown Seoul as more than 6 cm (2.4 inches) of snow accumulated. Police detained two protesters accused of assaulting officers during similar rallies on Saturday.

On the same day, the CIO once again requested acting President Choi Sang-mok, South Korea's finance minister, to order the security service to comply with the arrest warrant. A finance ministry spokesperson declined to comment but issued a statement urging authorities to ensure no one was harmed in the enforcement of the law.