North Korea's state media on Friday reported on the detention warrant issued for President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed Dec. 3 martial law imposition, in which it described South Korea's current political turmoil as "paralyzing."
"In puppet South Korea, an unprecedented impeachment took place following the Dec. 3 martial law incident, and a detention warrant was issued for the president, paralyzing state affairs and further deepening social and political chaos," the Korean Central News Agency reported.
This marks the first time the KCNA has reported on the development surrounding Yoon's impeachment case since Dec. 16, two days after the South's National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against the president.
On Friday, the South's Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials pulled back from its attempt to arrest Yoon, following a six-hour standoff between CIO investigators and the Presidential Security Service in front of the presidential residence in Yongsan, central Seoul. The CIO cited concerns over the safety of investigators at the site as the reason to halt the warrant execution to detain Yoon.
The KCNA had yet to report on the CIO's withdrawal as of 2 p.m. on Friday.
In addition to the detention warrant, the KCNA reported on the impeachment of the South's Prime Minister and then-acting President Han Duck-soo, as well as a letter that Yoon addressed to supporters on Wednesday night expressing his gratitude for "protecting the constitutional order of liberal democracy."
Yoon, who is currently suspected of insurrection and abuse of power over his martial law decree, is undergoing an impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court, which has the power to officially reinstate him or strip him of his power.
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