Impeached Yoon Faces Second Bid to Arrest Him as Protests Continue

Call for calm as supporters of S. Korea's leader and those opposed to him rally

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South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol faces a new and potentially more robust attempt to arrest him on insurrection charges after a top investigator vowed to do whatever it takes to break a security blockade and take in the impeached leader.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Jan 8 urged the authorities to "do their best to prevent any injuries to citizens or physical conflict between government agencies" while executing Mr Yoon's arrest warrant.

Protesters both supporting and opposing the embattled Mr Yoon braved freezing temperatures to stage rallies on the streets around the presidential compound on Jan 8 after a court re-issued a warrant to arrest Mr Yoon a day earlier.

The Presidential Security Service (PSS) has been fortifying the compound with barbed wire and barricades using buses to block access to the hillside villa where Mr Yoon is believed to be, having defied summons to appear for questioning.

Mr Yoon is under criminal investigation for insurrection over his Dec 3 martial law bid that stunned South Korea and led to the first arrest warrant to be issued for a sitting president.