South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol made history as the first sitting leader in the country to be arrested, following a dramatic and tense operation by investigators.
Yoon, 64, is facing charges of insurrection related to his failed martial law order issued on December 3, which caused widespread unrest.
The arrest came after weeks of standoff between Yoon’s security detail and law enforcement officials, who initially attempted to arrest him on January 3, but were blocked after a six-hour impasse.
On Wednesday morning, a much larger team of investigators, numbering around 1,000, arrived at Yoon’s residence in central Seoul.
Equipped with ladders to scale buses blocking the entrance and bolt cutters to remove barbed wire, they ultimately breached security and apprehended the president.
In a video released shortly before his arrest, Yoon expressed his willingness to cooperate with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), although he repeated his claim that the arrest warrant was not legally valid.
“I decided to appear before the CIO, even though it is an illegal investigation, in order to prevent any unsavoury bloodshed,” Yoon said, referring to the heavy-handed methods used to breach his security.
He also claimed that fire equipment was used to “invade” his home’s perimeter.
Following his arrest, Yoon’s legal team immediately contested the legality of the operation.
They argue that the CIO, an anti-corruption agency, has no jurisdiction over the insurrection charges, and that the warrant was issued by the wrong court.
The court later dismissed a request from Yoon to invalidate the warrant.
The arrest sparked polarizing reactions across the country.
Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the opposition Democratic Party, hailed the arrest as a victory for justice, saying, “This arrest is the first step toward restoring constitutional order, democracy, and the rule of law.”
Meanwhile, Yoon’s supporters gathered outside the investigation office, expressing their anger.
“We are very upset and angry. The rule of law has broken down,” one of them told the BBC.
As tensions remain high, Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is currently serving as acting president, having taken over after the previous acting president, Han Duck-soo, was also impeached by a parliament with a strong opposition majority.
The arrest followed a political crisis triggered by Yoon’s martial law declaration in December, which he claimed was meant to safeguard the country from “anti-state” elements.
The move, however, was widely viewed as a desperate attempt to consolidate power as his government faced increasing opposition.
Yoon’s declaration prompted a backlash, including a physical confrontation at the National Assembly, where lawmakers dismantled barricades to vote down the martial law.
Since the impeachment, political tensions have reached a fever pitch, with many top officials, including former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, resigning over the martial law controversy.
The Constitutional Court is currently deliberating whether Yoon should be permanently removed from office, with a ruling expected in February.
The arrest of Yoon is another dramatic chapter in South Korea’s ongoing political crisis, with the nation deeply divided over its future leadership.
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