Yoon Suk-yeol will be arrested within deadline, says anti-corruption chief

Head of South Korea's Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials Oh Dong-woon said that impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol will be arrested by Monday following an arrest warrant, according to a report by Al Jazeera.

Speaking with the reporters on Wednesday, Oh Dong-woon warned that any attempts to obstruct the arrest, including barricades or locked gates, would be seen as interference with official duties.

Oh Dong-woon said that the arrest warrant against Yoon would be executed "within the valid period," the last day of which is Monday.

"We aim for a smooth process without major disturbances, but we are also coordinating to mobilise police and personnel in preparation," he told reporters.

He added, "We consider actions such as setting up various barricades and locking iron gates to resist the execution of our arrest warrant as obstruction of official duties," Al Jazeera reported.

A Seoul court on Tuesday had approved a warrant to detain Yoon, who was impeached over his failed attempt to impose martial law.

Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly over his attempt to impose martial law in the country on December 3.

While issuing the warrants, the court rejected Yoon's claims that the CIO lacks jurisdiction over insurrection cases and that the warrant request was therefore illegal. The court also dismissed Yoon's claims that he couldn't attend questioning sessions because arrangements for his personal safety and security detail, as the president, had not been made, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Earlier on December 14, Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly over his attempt to impose martial law in the country. The members of the unicameral National Assembly had voted 204 to 85 to impeach South Korea's President.

Three members of the National Assembly abstained from voting while eight votes were declared invalid. The voting was conducted through a secret ballot, with two-thirds of the vote needed for impeachment. All 300 members of the assembly cast their votes.

After his impeachment, Yoon was suspended from office.