The confrontation began long before dawn. By the time we arrived in the dark, an army of police had pushed back angry supporters of ousted President Yoon Suk-yeol, who had camped out overnight in hopes of stopping his arrest. Some of those I spoke to cried, others sobbed at what they feared would happen.
As dawn broke, the first officers ran to the house, but were immediately thwarted – blocked by a wall of soldiers protecting the compound. Reinforcements came but could not help. The doors of Yoon's house remained tightly closed, his security team refused the policemen entry.
For several hours, the investigators waited, the crowds outside growing increasingly agitated – until, after a series of scuffles between police and security staff, they decided their mission was pointless and gave up.
This is completely uncharted territory for South Korea. This is the first time a sitting president has faced arrest, so there is no rulebook to follow – but the current situation is astonishing nonetheless.
When Yun was impeached three weeks ago, it was assumed that he had been stripped of his power. So having law enforcement officers attempt to make an arrest — for which they have a legal warrant — only to be blocked by Yoon's security team raises serious and uncomfortable questions about who's in charge here.
Investigating officers said they gave up trying to arrest Yoon not only because it seemed impossible, but also because they were concerned about their safety. They said 200 soldiers and security officers joined hands to form a human wall to block the entrance to the presidential residence, some carrying weapons.
Getty ImagesThis is probably part of Yoon's plan using a system he designed himself. Before declaring martial law last month – a plan we now know he had drawn up months earlier – he surrounded himself with close friends and loyal supporters, injecting them into positions of power.
One of those people is the current head of its security team, who took over in September.
But while alarming, this situation is not entirely surprising. Yoon has refused to cooperate with authorities in that investigation, ignoring every request to come in for questioning.
So things got to the point where the investigators felt they had no choice but to bring him in by force. Yun is being investigated for one of the most serious political crimes: inciting sedition, which is punishable by life imprisonment or death.
Yoon also encouraged his supporters who have been gathering outside his residence every day since the arrest warrant was issued. He sent them a letter on New Year's Day thanking them for “working hard” to protect both him and the country.
Although most people in South Korea are upset and angered by Yun's decision to impose martial law, a core of his supporters remained loyal. Some even camped overnight in sub-zero temperatures to try to prevent police from reaching his home.
Many told me this morning that they were willing to die to protect Yoon, and repeated the same baseless conspiracy theories that Yoon himself floated — that last year's election was rigged and the country was infiltrated by pro-North Korea. They held up placards reading “Stop Theft,” a slogan they chanted over and over.
Attention is now also on South Korea's current president, Choi Sang-mok, and how far his powers extend; whether he can and should fire the president's security chief and force the team to allow his arrest. The opposition party says the police should arrest anyone who gets in their way.
Although investigators have until Jan. 6 to try that arrest again — that's when the warrant expires — it's unlikely they'll go in again without changing their strategy or negotiating with the security team first. They will want to avoid a repeat of today's failure.
They also have to contend with the crowds of Yun's supporters who now feel victorious and empowered. They believe that they are largely responsible for the downfall of the authorities. “We won, we made it,” they sing all afternoon.
As their confidence grows, so will their numbers, especially as the weekend approaches.
