South Korea's Yoon faces second arrest attempt in fortified compound

Protesters supporting and opposing the embattled Yoon braved freezing temperatures to stage rallies on the streets around the presidential compound on Wednesday after a court re-issued a warrant on Tuesday to arrest him.

The Presidential Security Service (PSS) has been fortifying the compound this week with barbed wire and barricades using buses to block access to the residence, a hillside villa in an upscale district known as Korea's Beverly Hills.

Yoon is under criminal investigation for insurrection over his failed attempt to impose martial law on Dec. 3, a decision that stunned South Korea and prompted the first arrest warrant for a sitting president.

He also faces an impeachment trial in the Constitutional Court.

On Wednesday, one of Yoon's lawyers, said the president could not accept the execution of the arrest warrant because it was issued by a court in the wrong jurisdiction and the CIO had no authority to investigate the incumbent leader.

Yoon Kap-keun, the lawyer, also denied suggestions by some members of parliament that Yoon had fled the official residence, saying he had met the president there on Tuesday. He said they were "malicious" rumours intended to slander Yoon.

On Tuesday, Oh Dong-woon, head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which is leading the investigation into Yoon, apologised for failing to arrest the president last week after a six-hour standoff with hundreds of PSS agents and military guards at the compound.

"We'll do our best to accomplish our goal by thoroughly preparing this time with great determination that the second warrant execution will be the last," Oh told a parliament committee.

He declined to specify how many days the court had given before the new arrest warrant expired, citing a need to keep plans for the new attempt internal.

Oh did not object when members of parliament called for tough action to overpower the presidential guards and military troops inside the compound, but he declined to discuss what options were being considered to achieve that.

Various scenarios reported in local media included mobilising police special tactical units and heavy equipment to push through the barricades, followed by more than 2,000 police to drag out presidential guards, taking as long as three days if necessary to wear down presidential security agents.

Shin Yul, a Myongji University professor who has followed the country's political turmoil, said police had lots of experience with the tactical operations that were likely being considered.

"The second time, they should be able to arrest Yoon as I believe police will orchestrate the whole execution," he said.

But safety should be a top priority, especially of protesters, he said, noting the risk of gunfire in a potential clash.

The CIO and police were outnumbered in the arrest attempt last week by more than 200 PSS personnel, some of whom were carrying firearms, as well as troops seconded to presidential security, a CIO official has said.