Rolls of barbed wire encircle the perimeter of South Korea’s presidential residence, where impeached leader Yoon Suk Yeol has transformed his hilltop home into an urban stronghold against arrest.
The compound in the capital’s exclusive Hannam-dong district, previously home to diplomatic receptions and banquets, has become the frontline of an unprecedented political crisis.
Spanning 15,000 square metres in an area sometimes dubbed “Korea’s Beverly Hills”, the residence sits among the homes of business tycoons, foreign embassies and K-pop stars including BTS members.
Local media and opposition politicians have taken to calling the property an impregnable “fortress” since parliament voted to impeach Yoon over his short-lived martial law declaration in December.
The former foreign minister’s residence, extensively renovated after Yoon controversially relocated the presidential office in 2022, now bristles with security measures including checkpoints and rows of buses forming defensive barriers.
Yoon faces charges of insurrection after his shock declaration of martial law in December, when he dispatched troops to surround parliament. The decree lasted just six hours before being overturned, but prompted his impeachment by lawmakers and led investigators to seek his arrest – the first such warrant against a sitting South Korean president.
On Tuesday, a Seoul court extended the warrant’s validity, giving investigators more time to attempt his detention.
Yoon chose the complex after criticising the centuries-old Blue House for being a symbol of imperial exuberance, the first South Korean leader in modern history to refuse to live there. When he first announced the expensive move, he faced accusations that the choice was influenced by shamans and feng shui – the location of the residence between Namsan mountain and the Han river is considered especially auspicious by practitioners of the ancient art.
In happier times, Yoon has hosted foreign dignitaries, including Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, inside the building. Now it is a sanctuary under siege.
Last week, the presidential office reportedly filed criminal complaints against three major broadcasters and a YouTube channel for illegally filming the compound, which is designated as a restricted military facility.
The YouTuber had caused a sensation by capturing footage appearing to show the first lady Kim Keon Hee walking one of their fluffy white dogs within the grounds during an attempted arrest raid.
As the political crisis grinds on, Yoon’s wife has maintained a low profile inside with their six dogs and five cats, while the president reportedly receives few visitors beyond his legal team.
The couple celebrated his 64th birthday quietly at home shortly after his impeachment, with supporters reportedly sending flowers and thousands of letters to his office.
As investigators weigh their options for executing the arrest warrant, former head of the national police workers council Min Gwan-gi suggested on radio that helicopters and special forces might be needed to breach the compound’s defences.
Despite uncertainty over Yoon’s whereabouts, Oh Dong-woon, head of the corruption investigation office for high-ranking officials, said they would “prepare thoroughly” for the second arrest attempt. Police say they are tracking Yoon’s location, Yonhap reported, without disclosing where he is.
Outside the compound’s gates, duelling protests continue between supporters maintaining a round-the-clock vigil and opponents demanding his arrest.
