Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Arrested Over Martial Law Declaration

South Korea’s anti-corruption agency detained impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday (15 January), following a dramatic operation at his presidential compound in Seoul.

The move came after hundreds of investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) and police officers arrived to execute a detention warrant.

A convoy of black SUVs, some equipped with sirens, was seen leaving the presidential compound under police escort after hours of negotiations between investigators and Yoon’s legal team.

The detention stems from President Yoon’s declaration of martial law on 3 December 2024, which he defended as a “legitimate act of governance” against an “anti-state” opposition using its legislative majority to obstruct his agenda.

The CIO and police are investigating whether the martial law declaration amounted to an attempted rebellion.

For weeks, Yoon had remained at the Hannam-dong presidential residence, vowing to “fight to the end” against efforts to remove him from office.

His lawyers argued that he would voluntarily appear for questioning, but the anti-corruption agency rejected this option, citing his repeated failure to respond to summons.

The agency described the detention as a necessary step after its initial attempt on 3 January was blocked by the presidential security service.

President Yoon’s martial law declaration and subsequent impeachment have plunged South Korea into political turmoil.

Critics allege that the move was an overreach of executive power, while Yoon’s supporters maintain it was necessary to counteract opposition efforts to paralyse his administration.

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