South Korean police arrested impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol at his home in Seoul on Wednesday.
The arrest happened weeks after investigators first tried to detain Yoon over his brief declaration of martial law in December. Officials from South Korea’s Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) entered Yoon’s residence to execute the arrest warrant at 10:33 a.m. local time. Yoon was then taken to the CIO for questioning in his presidential security vehicle.
In a pre-recorded message to the nation, Yoon criticized the legal process, calling it unfair and accusing authorities of using fake documents and invalid warrants. He said his decision to appear at the CIO was not to support their investigation but to avoid violence as officials tried to enter his home by force.
Earlier this month, an attempt to arrest Yoon resulted in a standoff between his security team and investigators. About 3,000 police officers were present, along with thousands of protesters trying to block the arrest. The effort was eventually canceled.
The latest warrant was issued on December 31, after Yoon’s declaration of martial law on December 3. He claimed martial law was necessary due to opposition lawmakers, whom he accused of siding with North Korea and paralyzing the government. Yoon was suspended from office on December 14.
South Korea’s laws allow the police to arrest a president accused of insurrection even while in office. Investigators sought the warrant after Yoon ignored three requests to appear for questioning. This is the first time in South Korea’s history that a court has issued an arrest warrant for a sitting or former president.
