Politics South Korea's suspended President Yoon arrested
South Korea's suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol has been arrested in the capital Seoul due to the brief imposition of martial law in early December.
15.01.2025, 03:35
15.01.2025, 03:36
SDA
Police officers and investigators from the anti-corruption agency (CIO) took Yoon to his residence on Wednesday morning to bring him to the public prosecutor's office, South Korea's official news agency Yonhap reported. The arrest was apparently peaceful despite major security concerns.
A convoy of black SUVs left the presidential residence in the center of Seoul under police escort. According to reports, Yoon will be questioned by the CIO in the coming hours on charges that he is guilty of sedition and abuse of power with his actions.
It is the first time in the country's history that a formally acting president of South Korea has been arrested. In addition to the investigation by the anti-corruption authority, impeachment proceedings are also underway against Yoon at the Constitutional Court. After the 64-year-old failed to appear in court at the first hearing on Tuesday, the next trial date was postponed until Thursday.
Since December, Yoon had barricaded himself in his presidential residence, where high walls, a barbed wire fence and his security service protected him from arrest. In addition, masses of supporters took to the streets to campaign for him.
Yoon had briefly declared martial law on December 3 in the course of a budget dispute with the opposition, plunging the democratic country into a national crisis. Parliament then voted to remove him from office. The Constitutional Court will review this decision in the coming weeks.
Yoon defended the imposition of martial law - which was lifted a few hours later - to the end as a legitimate measure. The suspended president described the opposition as a collection of "anti-state forces" that would paralyze the state in its basic functions.
