Yoon Suk Yeol shows defiance as his arrest date approaches

Ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol remains defiant in his newly fortified residence, with a warrant for his arrest short-term order of martial law expires Monday.

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

Yoon ignored multiple summonses to appear for questioning on charges of rebellion and abuse of power before investigators showed up at his residence – only to call off his operation after a six-hour standoff with presidential security.

Investigators may try to extend their warrant. They told the BBC that they had asked the police to comply in the hope that their efforts would be stronger.

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

South Korea has been in crisis for the past month since Yoon tried to impose martial law, citing threats from the North and “anti-state forces”. The incidents continue as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visits Seoul in an effort to stabilize relations ahead of Donald Trump’s presidency.

Time is almost up for the investigators who are conducting the criminal case against Yoon.

Yun’s lawyers said the warrant for his arrest was “illegal” because anti-corruption investigators did not have the authority to pursue a case as serious as the rebellion.

The presidential security service cited this as the reason for blocking Yun’s arrest – along with the fact that Yun remains acting president until the constitutional court rules on his impeachment.

“For the PSS, whose main mission is the absolute security of the president, executing an arrest warrant amid ongoing litigation would be tantamount to abdication,” security chief Park Jong-joon said on Sunday.

Mr. Park rejected accusations that his team served as a “private militia” for Yoon.

Yoon’s lawyers, who filed complaints Monday against the investigation into the attempted arrest, said Yoon was “virtually detained in his residence.”

They also filed for an injunction against the warrant, which was dismissed by the court, and later said they were considering appealing the decision.

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

The BBC has learned that opposition MPs have asked the investigation to try to arrest Youn again, but “more harshly and with sufficient resources”.

Investigators can also request a new custody order, which must be approved by a judge. This would allow Yoon to be detained for up to 20 days, while the arrest warrant only allows him to be held 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 an arrest.

As seen last Friday, they may once again be blocked by the presidential security service, which has formed a “human wall” to protect Yoon. He himself promised to “fight to the end”, dividing public opinion and inciting his supporters, who demonstrated outside his house for several days.

A tense confrontation also has raised pressing issues on the strength and effectiveness of South Korea’s political and legal institutions.

The situation also has implications beyond domestic politics.

Until last month, the Biden administration had praised Yun, impressed by his willingness to work with Washington to combat security threats from North Korea and China. The US has made many efforts to help South Korea repair its strained relationship with Japan so that the three countries can address these issues together.

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

Yun did not inform the US of his plans to impose martial law, meaning that Washington had no way to dissuade him and was unprepared for the chaos that ensued.

Blinken will not want to be involved in the current political situation. Instead, he will want to focus on maintaining trilateral cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo after Biden’s term ends.

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 who work tirelessly to preserve these institutions.”

“Over the past four decades, Korea has written one of the most powerful and 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 in response, you demonstrate your democratic tenacity.”

But it is difficult to resolve the internal and geopolitical situation. South Korea may be months away from electing a new president, and that leader may well want to break with Yun’s foreign policy.

Trump, who will enter the White House in two weeks, will also follow his own agenda.

Additional reporting by Hosu Lee and Lihyun Choi in Seoul