President Yoon Suk Yeol’s defense team said Thursday that it is “illegal” for the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials(CIO) to receive support from the riot police to arrest the president. 

Yoon’s legal defense team issued the position in a statement, claiming that if the riot police attempt to execute an arrest warrant on behalf of the CIO, they will be acting illegally and can face arrest by the Presidential Security Service or any citizen. 

The statement stressed that the CIO has no investigative authority over the police and argued that it is illegal for the riot police, whose duty is to maintain public order and security, to conduct activities under the direction of other investigative agencies.

The CIO said it has not yet decided whether it will seek assistance from the riot police to execute the warrant. 

A joint team of investigators from the CIO, the police and the defense ministry secured the warrant on Tuesday to arrest Yoon over his botched martial law attempt.