Yoon Suk Yeol is now the first sitting president of South Korea to be arrested. Investigators had to overcome barricades and cut through barbed wire to detain him.
The 64-year-old president is being investigated on insurrection charges linked to a failed martial law order on December 3, which caused nationwide unrest.
Although parliament has impeached and suspended Yoon, his removal from office depends on the Constitutional Court upholding the impeachment decision.
The dramatic arrest on Wednesday marked the end of weeks of standoff between investigators and Yoon’s presidential security team.
On January 3, investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, CIO, attempted to arrest Yoon but faced a six-hour standoff with his security team.
Early on Wednesday, a larger team of investigators and police 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 managed to breach the compound.
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Around 1,000 officers, some scaling walls and others hiking nearby trails, joined the operation to reach the presidential residence. After several hours, authorities confirmed Yoon’s arrest.
In a three-minute video released before his arrest, Yoon stated he would cooperate with investigators, though he continued to argue that the warrant was unlawful.
“I decided to appear before the CIO, even though it is an illegal investigation, in order to prevent any unsavory bloodshed,” he said, adding that he saw officials “invade” his home’s security perimeter with fire equipment.
By Wednesday afternoon, investigators reported that Yoon had remained silent during questioning.
A graphic illustrating the timeline of Yoon’s arrest was released alongside the announcement.
Yoon’s legal team has called his arrest “illegal,” arguing that the CIO lacks jurisdiction to investigate insurrection charges. They also claim the arrest warrant was issued by the wrong court.
However, the same court rejected Yoon’s injunction to invalidate the arrest warrant, asserting the warrant’s legitimacy.
Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the opposition Democratic Party, praised the arrest as evidence that “justice in South Korea is alive.”
“This arrest is the first step toward restoring constitutional order, democracy, and the rule of law,” Park said at a party meeting.
Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is currently serving as acting president. He assumed the role after the previous acting president, Han Duck-soo, was also impeached by parliament, where the opposition holds a majority.
What’s next for Yoon?
The investigators now face strict deadlines. Under the current warrant, Yoon can be detained for up to 48 hours following his arrest. If a new warrant is approved, he could be held for up to 20 days while investigations continue. Without it, he must be released.
Yoon is expected to remain at the Seoul Detention Centre in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, about 5km, 3 miles, from the CIO’s office.
Supporters of Yoon have been protesting his arrest outside the investigating office. Demonstrators opposing him were also present, and they played celebratory music, cheering and clapping when news of his arrest broke.
Meanwhile, Yoon’s supporters expressed outrage. “We are very upset and angry. The rule of law has broken down,” one supporter told the BBC.
The contrasting reactions highlight the country’s deepening political divide, with tensions running high between conservative and progressive factions.
The arrest has also intensified a power struggle between law enforcement armed with a legal warrant and presidential security officials claiming their duty is to protect the suspended president.
As Yoon faces questioning, the nation remains uncertain about how the political crisis will unfold.
How it led to this
South Korea has been in political turmoil since Yoon’s controversial martial law declaration on December 3, which triggered dramatic scenes in parliament. Lawmakers climbed fences and broke barricades to convene and overturn the order.
Yoon claimed he issued the declaration to defend the country from “anti-state” forces allegedly aligned with North Korea. However, critics believe it was a reaction to his political struggles.
Since the opposition’s landslide victory in last April’s general election, Yoon’s administration has been largely ineffective, reduced to vetoing opposition-proposed bills.
The weeks following the martial law order were unprecedented. Parliament impeached Yoon, suspending him from office, while authorities launched a criminal investigation.
Key government officials, including former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, who reportedly supported the martial law order, and several of Yoon’s political aides have resigned.
Tens of thousands of South Koreans have also protested in recent weeks, some backing Yoon while others demanded his removal.
Yoon refused to appear for questioning despite repeated summonses, a stance that led authorities to finally arrest him.
Separately, the Constitutional Court has started hearings on whether Yoon should be permanently removed from office, with a ruling expected as early as February. The next court session is scheduled for Thursday.
Reported by BBC
