South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol was arrested on Wednesday, another shocking development in one of Asia's most dynamic democracies.
Although South Korea has a record of prosecuting and imprisoning former leaders, the embattled Yoon is the first South Korean president to be arrested. Facing accusations of plotting a rebellion, he said he agreed to comply with what he called an illegal investigation to avoid “bloodshed”.
Mr Yoon has been holed up in his hillside residence since lawmakers voted to step down. brief period of martial law On December 3, an earlier arrest attempt was thwarted by a small team of private security guards.
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Yoon said he voluntarily submitted himself to questioning to avoid any violence after more than 3,000 police officers marched to his home since early Wednesday to arrest him.
“I decided to respond to the chief information officer's investigation – albeit an illegal one – to prevent unpleasant bloodshed,” Yoon said in a statement, referring to a corruption probe by a senior official in charge of a criminal investigation. Corruption Investigation Office (CIO).
Yoon's motorcade was later seen leaving his residence in the upscale Beverly Hills area of Seoul. It arrived at the investigators' office but was quickly surrounded by security and moved to the back of the building, where Yoon slipped in, avoiding the waiting media.
Authorities now have 48 hours to question Yoon, after which they must seek a warrant to detain him for up to 20 days or release him.
Yoon's lawyers said the arrest warrant was illegal because it was issued by a court in the wrong jurisdiction and the team set up to investigate him did not have the legal authority to do so.
A search warrant for Yin at his residence, seen by Reuters, described Yin as a “rebellion leader.”
Yoon's declaration of martial law shocked South Koreans, rattled Asia's fourth-largest economy and ushered in a period of unprecedented political turmoil for one of Washington's main security partners in the region. Lawmakers voted to impeach him He was relieved of his duties shortly thereafter on December 14.
In addition to the criminal investigation, the Constitutional Court is considering whether to uphold parliamentary impeachment and permanently remove him or restore him to presidential powers.
A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said in a statement that the United States remains committed to working with the Seoul government and appreciates all its efforts and citizens who “act in accordance with the Constitution.”
The top spokesman for neighboring Japan's government, Hayashi Yoshihide, said at a daily press conference that Tokyo was following developments in South Korea “with a special and serious attitude.”
Nationwide arrests deadlock
The latest arrests, which began before dawn, shocked the country, with hundreds of thousands glued to live broadcasts that showed busloads of police arriving near the presidential palace, pushing past Yin supporters before heading toward the presidential palace gates carrying ladders and wire cutters.
When local news broadcasters reported that Mr. Yin was about to be detained, some small scuffles broke out between protesters supporting Mr. Yin and police near the residence, according to Reuters witnesses at the scene.
Crowds of protesters gathered in sub-zero temperatures, some wrapped in foil blankets and others waving flags with the slogan “Stop the Steal,” referring to Yoon's unsubstantiated claims of election fraud. This was one of his declarations to justify his short-lived martial law.
Some of Yin's supporters have compared his plight to that of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who also claimed voter fraud contributed to his 2020 election defeat but has since recovered and achieved political success. A stunning comeback.
“We are very sad to see our country falling apart,” said Kim Woo-sub, a 70-year-old retiree who protested against Yoon's arrest outside her home on Wednesday.
“I still have high hopes that Trump will support our president. Election fraud is what they have in common, but the United States also needs South Korea to stand up to China,” he said.
Although polls show a majority of South Koreans disapprove of Mr Yoon's martial law and support his impeachment, the political deadlock has given oxygen to his supporters and his People's Power Party (PPP) has seen a resurgence in recent weeks.
The latest Realmeter poll released on Monday showed that the PPP's support rate was 40.8%, and the main opposition Democratic Party's support rate was 42.2%, which was within the margin of error, down from the 10.8% gap last week.
- Reuters Additional editing by Jim Pollard
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