South Korean investigators launch 3rd raid on presidential office amid martial law probe

By Anadolu staff

South Korean investigators on Wednesday attempted for the third time to search the presidential office and residence amid an ongoing probe into President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid, according to local media.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) said the raid was aimed at seizing the server records of a secure phone used by Yoon, computers, and other electronic equipment and documents, Yonhap News reported.

However, it is not clear whether the presidential security service will let them enter the presidential office to search as earlier CIO attempts failed.

Meanwhile, CIO investigators also arrived at the Seoul Detention Center to question Yoon over short-lived martial law.

Yoon's side "needs to respect the decision of the judiciary," said Oh Dong-woon, the CIO chief, adding: "We will try to forcibly bring him in today."

The anti-graft body's earlier attempts failed to bring Yoon for questioning after the impeached president refused to cooperate.

On Wednesday, an opposition-led parliamentary committee also issued an order to bring Yoon and six others involved in last month's martial law declaration to appear at the National Assembly as witnesses.

The 63-year-old embattled president was impeached by the parliament on Dec. 14, 2024, over his Dec. 3 martial law decree.

He was arrested last week and has been held at a detention center in Uiwang, south of the capital Seoul.

His formal arrest warrant triggered violent protests by Yoon's supporters. Police on Wednesday secured an arrest warrant for 56 people who are allegedly involved in an attack on a court house which ordered Yoon's arrest.

Yoon is the country's first sitting president to be formally arrested after a Seoul court issued a warrant on Sunday to detain him for an extended period.

• Writing by Islamuddin Sajid.