South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol has been arrested by investigators over allegations of insurrection tied to his brief imposition of martial law, a move swiftly overturned by the country’s 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],” the authorities announced in a statement, marking a historic moment as Yoon became the first sitting president in South Korea to be arrested while in office.
Following his arrest, Yoon addressed the nation in a prerecorded video, stating that his decision to cooperate with the Corruption Investigation Office was made to prevent “bloodshed,” despite contesting the legality of the investigation. “I decided to respond to the Corruption Investigation Office,” he said, adding that he was complying “to prevent any unfortunate bloodshed.”
The arrest operation at Yoon’s hillside residence in Seoul was met with resistance. Investigators, alongside police, resorted to using ladders to breach the compound after being initially blocked by the Presidential Security Service, which had barricaded the entrance with vehicles.
Thousands of supporters and lawmakers from the conservative People Power Party gathered outside, while Yoon’s legal team attempted to obstruct the arrest inside.
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After the standoff, Yoon’s presidential motorcade was escorted to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials in Gwacheon. Reports indicate that an estimated 1,000 police officers were deployed to execute the arrest.
Patrick Fok, reporting from Seoul, highlighted the legal complexities surrounding Yoon’s detention. “The corruption investigation office can hold him for a maximum of 48 hours. They then need to decide, at that point, whether or not to apply for a warrant to detain the president,” Fok said.
The operation comes amid Yoon’s ongoing impeachment trial over his December 3 martial law declaration, which the Constitutional Court has emphasised requires his presence. Yoon, however, has repeatedly avoided appearing in court, leading to heightened tensions.
This marks the second attempt to detain Yoon after a failed operation earlier this month resulted in an hours-long standoff. Since then, Yoon had remained confined to his residence, further evading arrest and skipping his impeachment trial hearings.
The impeachment trial stems from the National Assembly’s December 14 vote to impeach Yoon following his controversial martial law announcement. Despite his rise to prominence as a chief prosecutor in 2017 and his subsequent election in May 2022, Yoon has faced significant challenges, particularly in navigating an opposition-dominated parliament.
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