Following an hours-long standoff with police at the presidential residence in Seoul, Yoon Suk Yeol has become South Korea's first sitting president to come under arrest.
The 64-year old leader was detained Wednesday on charges of insurrection for declaring martial law on December 3rd, creating national turmoil and a severe Constitutional crisis.
He'll be removed from office once the Constitutional Court upholds a prior impeachment ruling. At least 1,000 South Korean police were in a standoff as they tried to breach Yoon's residence.
He now faces the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence. "Yoon defiantly insisted that the country’s anti-corruption agency, which led the raid with police, didn’t have the authority to investigate his actions, but said he complied to prevent violence," Associated Press reports.
Police and investigators were seen scaling walls, cutting barbed wire, and using firefighting equipment to cut through barricades. Yoon has accused them of trying to illegally "break in" to his residence.
"In order to stop unwanted bloodshed, I made the decision to appear in the prosecutor's office despite the illegality of these actions," the impeached president stated.
Anti-corruption investigators (CIO) have said that so far Yoon has remained silent amid questioning. His interrogation is expected to continue for days or possibly weeks.
Associated Press reviews of the last several chaotic weeks outside his residence:
Yoon had been holed up in the Hannam-dong residence in the capital, Seoul, for weeks while vowing to "fight to the end" the efforts to oust him. He has justified his declaration of martial law Dec. 3 as a legitimate act of governance against an “anti-state” opposition employing its legislative majority to thwart his agenda.
Wednesday's events took at least six hours, and were greatly complicated when loyalist lawmakers formed a human chain to block the entry of police into the compound. Thousands of Yoon's supporters also showed up and demonstrated.
There was confirmation that he was escorted off the property in police detention. "A series of black SUVs, some equipped with sirens, were seen leaving the presidential compound with police escorts," AP reported. "Yoon was later seen stepping out of a vehicle after arriving at the agency’s office in the nearby city of Gwacheon."
After being holed up for weeks, South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol has been detained. Read more: https://t.co/lSTMOzX8cB pic.twitter.com/RmpWvz33nu
— South China Morning Post (@SCMPNews) January 15, 2025
Yoon's lawyers plan to fight the detention, saying investigators have no authority in the matter:
The clock has started ticking for investigators.
Under the current warrant, they can hold Yoon for up to 48 hours from the point of arrest, after which they need a new warrant to detain him while he continues to be investigated.
If that warrant is granted, they can detain him for up to 20 days before he is brought to trial. Without a new warrant, Yoon must be released.
The Constitutional Court could take six months or so to confirm whether the impeachment stands or reinstate Yoon. Yoon previously rejected numerous attempts by the CIO for questioning.
