Yoon Suk Yeol defies as the arrest deadline approaches

South Korea’s suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol remains defiant in his newly fortified residence with the arrest warrant for his short-term martial law expires on Monday.

Yoon’s security team, which stopped investigators from arresting him on Friday, installed barbed wire and barricaded the area with buses over the weekend to prevent another attempt.

Yoon had ignored several summonses to appear for questioning about sedition and misuse of power charges before investigators turned up at his residence – only to call off their operation after a six-hour break with the presidential security service.

Investigators may try to extend their warrant. They told the BBC that they have asked the police to carry it out, in the hope that their efforts will carry more weight.

Public anger has grown in recent weeks as thousands of protesters braved heavy snow over the weekend, both in support of and against Yoon.

South Korea has been in crisis for the past month, ever since Yoon tried to impose martial law, citing a threat from the North and “anti-state forces”. The fallout continues as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Seoul in an attempt to stabilize ties ahead of a Donald Trump presidency.

Time is almost running out for the investigators leading the criminal case against Yoon.

Yoon’s lawyers have argued that his arrest warrant was “illegal” as the anti-corruption investigators did not have the authority to oversee a case as serious as a riot.

The president’s security team has cited this as a reason to block Yoon’s arrest — along with the fact that Yoon will remain a sitting president until the Constitutional Court rules on his impeachment.

“For the PSS, whose primary mission is the absolute security of the president, complying with the execution of an arrest warrant amid ongoing legal disputes would be tantamount to abandoning its duty,” security service chief Park Jong-joon said on Sunday.

Park denied allegations that his team served as a “private militia” for Yoon.

Yoon’s lawyers, who on Monday filed complaints against investigators over the attempted arrest, said Yoon has been virtually detained in his residence.

They also filed for an injunction against the order, which was rejected by the court, and then said they were considering appealing the decision.

Meanwhile, Acting President Choi Sang-mok has resisted opposition calls to fire key security officials who are preventing the arrest.

The BBC understands that opposition lawmakers had asked investigators to try to arrest Yoon again, but “more firmly and with sufficient means”.

Investigators could also apply for a new detention order, which must be approved by a judge. That would allow Yoon to be detained for up to 20 days, while an arrest warrant only allows him to be detained for 48 hours.

But without a change in either the situation or their approach, it seems unlikely that investigators or the police will be able to make the arrest.

As seen last Friday, they may again be blocked by the Presidential Security Service, which formed a “human wall” to protect Yoon. He himself has vowed to “fight to the end”, dividing public opinion and spurring on his supporters, who have demonstrated for days outside his home.

The tense standoff has too raised pressing questions on the robustness and effectiveness of South Korea’s political and legal institutions.

The situation also has consequences beyond domestic politics.

Until last month, the Biden administration had praised Yoon, pleased with his willingness to work with Washington to tackle the security threats posed by North Korea and China. The United States made great efforts to help South Korea repair its strained relationship with Japan so that the three countries could solve these problems together.

Mr. Blinken’s ongoing visit to Seoul, where he will meet South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Monday, therefore comes at a difficult time for these two allies.

Yoon did not tell the US of his plans to impose martial law, meaning Washington had no chance to deter him and was unprepared for the chaos that followed.

Blinken will not be swayed by the current political situation. He will instead focus on maintaining the trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo beyond Biden’s term in office.

Speaking at a joint news conference on Monday, Blinken said the US had “full confidence” in South Korea’s institutions and reaffirmed the US government’s “unwavering support for the Korean people as they work tirelessly to uphold these institutions”.

“Over the past four decades, Korea has written one of the most powerful, inspiring democratic stories in the world,” Blinken said.

Korea’s democracy has been tested in recent weeks – just as American democracy has faced challenges throughout our history. But you respond by demonstrating your democratic resilience.”

But it is difficult to separate the domestic and geopolitical situations. South Korea may be months away from electing a new president, and that leader may want to break with Yoon’s foreign policy.

Trump, who will enter the White House in a fortnight, will also pursue his own agenda.

Additional reporting by Hosu Lee and Leehyun Choi in Seoul