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Investigators used ladders to climb into President Yoon Seok-yeol’s residence after he failed to attend his impeachment trial.

South Korean investigators used ladders to climb into the compound of impeached President Yoon Seok-yeol in their second attempt to arrest him over his short-lived impeachment. martial law, According to reports.

South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency said that as of 7:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday (22:30 GMT), dozens of police officers had entered Yoon’s residence in central Seoul.

Yonhap news agency said investigators were initially blocked by the Presidential Security Service, which used vehicles to block the entrance, as well as a group of lawmakers from the ruling conservative People’s Power party and Yoon’s lawyer.

Hours after the confrontation at President Yoon’s official residence failed to show up The first hearing of the impeachment trial. Efforts to oust him continue nearly six weeks after he imposed martial law, but the move was quickly overturned by the National Assembly.

Al Jazeera’s Patrick Ho, reporting from Seoul, said an estimated 1,000 police officers were involved in the operation at the presidential palace.

“The presidential security team once again warned that they believe this arrest warrant has no legal basis and stated that they will enforce normal security protocols,” Huo said. He added that this “presumably means that they will protect the president at all costs, who is currently Still trapped in the official residence.”

Thousands of people gathered outside Yoon’s home, including those who chanted support for the impeached president.

This is the second time investigators have tried to arrest Yin, following their previous arrest. failed attempt He and his security team ended in an hours-long standoff inside the presidential palace in early January.

since then, Yin still has it He spent several weeks in a hillside villa in Seoul to evade arrest. He also failed to attend Tuesday morning’s impeachment trial, causing the hearing to be postponed minutes after it started.

The president’s lawyers said he would not participate in the impeachment hearings, adding that he would not be able to express his views freely as authorities continued to try to detain him.

The trial comes after South Korea’s National Assembly voted on December 14 to impeach Yoon after he unexpectedly imposed martial law in a late-night speech on December 3, 2024.