Blinken expresses confidence in South Korea’s democratic process while Yoon is arrested by Reuters

By Hyunsu Yim and Ju-min Park

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean investigators will seek an extension of an arrest warrant for indicted President Yoon Suk Yeol, while a visit from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed his confidence in the key Asian ally’s handling of the political unrest.

Investigators probing Yoon for his martial law imposed on December 3 again failed to serve an arrest warrant, which was blocked by presidential security officials who formed a human chain to prevent access to Yoon.

The arrest warrant, the first against a sitting president, expires at midnight (3pm GMT) on Monday. The Corruption Investigation Office for Senior Officials (CIO) plans to go to court on Monday to request an extension of the arrest warrant.

Yoon, who was impeached over his declaration of martial law, is under criminal investigation into possible insurrection.

The brief, six-hour declaration of martial law plunged one of Asia’s strongest democracies into uncharted waters, impeaching not just Yoon but also the prime minister, who became acting president, and appointing a second acting leader.

Yoon’s actions sparked a rare rebuke from officials in Washington, including Blinken’s deputy Kurt Campbell, who said it was “severely misjudged.”

After his meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, Blinken said Washington had expressed “serious concerns” to Seoul about some of the actions Yoon took in the wake of his declaration of martial law.

But the events that have unfolded since are a reflection of South Korea’s brand as a democratic success, “which is remarkably strong,” Blinken said at a news conference.

“The response that we have seen and that we expect to continue to see is one that is peaceful and fully consistent and in line with the Constitution and the rule of law.”

Yoon was impeached by Parliament on December 14 and suspended from the presidency. The Constitutional Court is reviewing the case to decide whether he should be permanently removed from office or reinstated.

The CIO, who is leading the criminal insurgency investigation against Yoon, has sent a notice to the police asking them to take over the execution of the arrest warrant.

A police official said at a press conference that the police believe there is a dispute over such a transfer and that they will discuss it with the CIO.

Yonhap News quoted a police official as saying that the arrest warrant will now be executed under the supervision of the joint police investigation team and the CIO.

Yoon’s lawyers have argued that the CIO’s anti-corruption force does not have the authority under South Korean law to investigate cases involving insurgency allegations.

On Monday, Seok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer advising Yoon, said the attempt to transfer execution of the arrest warrant effectively constituted an admission by the CIO that its investigation and the arrest warrant were “illegal.”

The unprecedented attempt to arrest a sitting president has sparked dueling rallies between those who support Yoon, with the “Stop the Steal” slogans popularized by voters of US President-elect Donald Trump, and those who support Yoon Demanding punishment intensified.

On Monday, a group of diehard Yoon supporters led by Christian pastor Jun Kwang-hoon held a news conference and described the fight for Yoon as an “international fight” for freedom.

“Unfortunately, there is no Fox News in Korea,” it said in a statement, referring to the American cable news channel popular with Trump supporters.

Jun said Yoon’s supporters would continue rallies outside his residence until they “reap the results.”