Yun Gap-keun, center, a lawyer representing President Yoon Suk Yeol, speaks during a press conference in Seocho District, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol will comply with legal procedures if he is indicted or a formal arrest warrant is sought over his short-lived martial law, rather than the current warrant for temporary detention, his lawyers said, Wednesday.

They also said the president is willing to attend his impeachment trial hearings at the Constitutional Court without restrictions, as long as the ongoing controversy over the removal of insurrection charges is resolved.

However, it remains to be seen if the president's side will truly comply with the legal procedures, as he has not done so with the detention warrant issued at the request of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which is leading a joint investigation with the police and the defense ministry.

The lawyers reiterated their stance of non-cooperation with the CIO's detention warrant, which has been extended. A detention warrant is typically issued when investigators need to take immediate custody of a suspect for questioning before seeking a formal arrest warrant. This allows them to detain a suspect for 48 hours, and if they wish to continue questioning under custody, they must seek a separate arrest warrant.

Yoon has refused to cooperate with the detention warrant, arguing that the anti-corruption agency lacks legal grounds for investigating the insurrection charges.

"(They should) make an indicment, or request an arrest warrant. Then, we will be willing to cooperate with the court process," Yun Gap-keun, a member of Yoon's legal team, said during a press conference in Seoul.

The president's legal team also claims that the detention warrant, issued by the Seoul Western District Court, is invalid, arguing that the CIO falls under the Seoul Central District Court's jurisdiction.

The main entrance to the presidential residence in Yongsan District, Seoul, is blocked by a barricade of buses placed by the Presidential Security Service, Wednesday. Yonhap

The lawyers also said Yoon will actively defend himself at the impeachment trial.

"There is no change in the president's willingness to attend the Constitutional Court hearings," Yun said.

"But he will be able to attend the trials once the controversy surrounding the withdrawal of insurrection charges and other issues are resolved, and relevant conditions are met for the president to speak. There is no limit to the number of times (of his attendance)," he added.

The lawyer also noted security concerns should be resolved for the president to appear at court.

Yun's remarks come amid intensifying controversy surrounding whether insurrection charges should be excluded as grounds for the president's impeachment at court.

Opposition parties have called for the withdrawal of the insurrection charges, which are being handled seperately by the investigation authorities, arguing that the impeachment should focus solely on whether Yoon's declaration of martial law was unconstitutional.

On the other hand, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and Yoon's legal defense team have rejected the removal of the insurrection charges, which they view as the key point of the National Assembly's impeachment motion. They argue that withdrawing the charges would make the motion meaningless, and therefore the court should dismiss it.

The court has yet to make a final decision on the matter.

A police helicopter patrols the skies near the presidential residence in Yongsan District, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

Violent clash feared

The CIO is preparing for a second attempt to raid the presidential residence to detain Yoon, amid concerns of violent clashes with the Presidential Security Service (PSS). It remains unclear when the agency will execute the warrant, as officials are maintaining silence to avoid leaks that could allow Yoon and his security team to prepare for the move.

If successful, it would mark the first-ever detention of a sitting president. However, another failure would place the CIO — already facing mounting criticism for its incompentent handling of the investigation — under greater scrutiny.

After the first attempt last Friday was thwarted by strong resistance from the PSS officials, authorities are reviewing various strategies to ensure success on the second attempt.

The CIO is said to be considering the mobilization of additional personnel and resources, surpassing the roughly 30 CIO officials and 100 police officers who were involved in the first attempt. The police are also weighing the potential deployment of special forces and helicopters.

The PSS has reportedly fortified the residence by installing barbed wire and barricading the entrance with additional buses to block the impending arrest attempt.

The CIO's efforts could face additional challenges due to Yoon's die-hard supporters, who have converged outside his residence to protest the detention attempt. Waving Korean and U.S. flags, they have been holding round-the-clock rallies, hoping to protect the embattled leader.

During a National Assembly session, Tuesday, CIO head Oh Dong-woon vowed to succeed in the second attempt, saying that it could be their "last opportunity" to carry out the warrant.

But Oh remained tight-lipped when asked by lawmakers about how the warrant would be executed, emphasizing the need for confidentiality in order to succeed.

President Yoon Suk Yeol's supporters hold a rally near his residence in Yongsan District, Seoul, protesting against his impeachment, Wednesday. Yonhap

Amid the impasse over the detention, opposition parties have raised concerns that Yoon may have already fled his residence to avoid being detained.

Rep. Ahn Gyu-baek of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) suggested that the president might be hiding in an undisclosed location.

“I've received tip-offs. There should be more verification, but I believe he may already be at a third location,” Ahn said during a radio interview with KBS, Wednesday.

The police said that they are tracking Yoon's location, but did not specify his exact whereabouts.

However, during the press conference, Yoon's lawyer refuted the speculation, calling it a "malicious rumor."

“I want to clarify that I personally saw him at the residence yesterday,” Yun said.