South Korea’s impeached President, Yoon Suk-yeol, has been arrested over allegations of insurrection linked to his brief imposition of martial law, which was swiftly overturned by the National Assembly.
“The Joint Investigation Headquarters executed an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol today [January 15] at 10:33 am [01:30 GMT],” authorities stated, making Yoon the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested while in office.
In a prerecorded video released after his arrest, Yoon defended his decision to cooperate with the Corruption Investigation Office, stating it was to avoid violence despite disputing the investigation’s legality. “I chose to respond to the Corruption Investigation Office to prevent any unfortunate bloodshed,” he said.
The arrest at Yoon’s residence in Seoul faced significant resistance. Investigators, supported by police, had to use ladders to enter the compound after the Presidential Security Service blocked the entrance with vehicles. Thousands of Yoon’s supporters and lawmakers from the conservative People Power Party rallied outside, while his legal team attempted to obstruct the arrest.
Yoon was eventually escorted by his presidential motorcade to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials in Gwacheon. Reports indicate that approximately 1,000 police officers were deployed to execute the arrest.
Patrick Fok, reporting from Seoul, explained the legal complexities of Yoon’s detention. “The corruption investigation office can hold him for a maximum of 48 hours. After that, they must decide whether to apply for a warrant to detain the president further,” he said.
The arrest comes amid Yoon’s ongoing impeachment trial over his December 3 martial law declaration, which the Constitutional Court requires him to attend. Yoon has repeatedly avoided appearing in court, escalating tensions.
This marks the second attempt to detain Yoon, following a failed operation earlier this month that resulted in an hours-long standoff. Since then, Yoon had remained confined to his residence, skipping impeachment trial hearings and evading arrest.
The impeachment trial was initiated after the National Assembly’s December 14 vote to impeach Yoon over his martial law declaration. Yoon, who rose to prominence as a chief prosecutor in 2017 and was elected president in May 2022, has struggled with significant political challenges, particularly in dealing with an opposition-controlled parliament.
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