SEOUL: Investigators are expected to execute a warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, following a delay due to widespread protests outside his residence. The warrant, issued by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), accuses Yoon of insurrection and abuse of power related to his declaration of martial law in December. The warrant is set to expire next Monday, prompting speculation about its imminent execution.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the CIO is reviewing potential legal challenges to the warrant and determining the most appropriate time for its execution. Yoon's arrest would mark the first time a sitting South Korean president faces detention. On Thursday, tensions escalated as police dispersed approximately 30 of Yoon's supporters who had breached security barriers to demonstrate outside the presidential residence.

President Yoon has publicly decried the warrant as an infringement on national sovereignty, rallying his supporters with messages of defiance. His legal team has taken steps to contest the warrant's validity, including filing an injunction to suspend its effect and an objection to both the detention and search warrants.

The CIO's attempts to detain Yoon come after he ignored multiple summonses to participate in an investigation into his martial law declaration. The agency has stressed its commitment to enforcing the warrant, mindful of the political and legal complexities involved in targeting a sitting president. Meanwhile, the presidential security service has signaled its intent to uphold Yoon's protection, complicating the CIO's efforts.

CIO Chief Oh Dong-woon has urged the security service to cooperate, warning that obstruction could lead to charges of dereliction of duty. Should the warrant be executed, Yoon will be taken to the CIO's headquarters for questioning before being detained at the Seoul Detention Center. The CIO will then have 48 hours to either seek an additional warrant for Yoon's formal arrest or release him.