South Korean authorities arrested impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday over accusations related to an insurrection stemming from his brief declaration of martial law on December 3. This makes Yoon the first sitting president in the nation’s history to face arrest.
Investigators confirmed that Yoon was apprehended after a joint operation involving police and the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO). Reports indicate that Yoon was seen leaving his heavily guarded residence in central Seoul in a convoy, heading toward the CIO’s offices after the arrest warrant was executed.
For weeks, the impeached president had remained secluded in his residence, protected by a large security detail, in an attempt to avoid detention. Yoon’s legal team, however, had previously stated that the attempts to arrest him were unlawful and designed to publicly embarrass him.
In a public statement on Wednesday morning, Yoon’s lawyer Seok Dong-hyeon confirmed that the president had agreed to cooperate with investigators. Yoon made the decision to leave his residence in an effort to prevent further escalation. Seok posted on Facebook that Yoon would address the investigators and deliver a speech during the process.
Prior to the arrest, over 3,000 police officers and anti-corruption investigators gathered at Yoon’s residence early in the morning. They faced resistance from his supporters and members of his ruling People Power Party, who were protesting the arrest attempts. The confrontation culminated in the announcement that the arrest warrant had been executed at 10:33 AM local time.
Following his detention, Yoon can be held for up to 48 hours under the current warrant. Investigators would need to secure another warrant to extend his custody. This marks the second arrest attempt, as the first attempt on January 3 had ended in a tense standoff with members of Yoon’s Presidential Security Service, who blocked the investigators from carrying out the warrant.
Yoon’s declaration of martial law in December shocked South Korea, leading to political instability and widespread public outrage. Subsequently, the National Assembly impeached him on December 14, and the Constitutional Court is now deliberating on whether to uphold the impeachment and permanently remove him from office.
Meanwhile, Yoon’s impeachment trial began on January 13, although the hearing was briefly adjourned when Yoon failed to attend. His legal team cited safety concerns as the reason for his absence, but the trial is set to resume on Thursday without his participation.
