South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has become the first South Korean President to be arrested, ending weeks of tension between investigators and his bodyguards. His failed attempt to impose martial law, which sent shockwaves across the country, has led to an investigation into allegations of insurrection, on Wednesday the 15th of January, reports the British broadcaster BBC.
He was impeached by parliament, but technically he is still president because the constitutional court has to decide whether his impeachment is valid.
“I decided to respond to the CIO investigation – despite the fact that it was an illegal investigation – to avoid unpleasant bloodshed,” the 64-year-old leader said of his appearance at the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO).
Authorities now have 48 hours to question Yoon, after which they must obtain a warrant to detain him for up to 20 days or release him.
In a three-minute video message, Yoon said he would comply with the investigation against him. He has insisted that his arrest warrant has no legal basis.
More than 1 000 police officers took part in Wednesday’s dawn operation, the second time police officers have tried to arrest him. Investigators used ladders and wire cutters to reach Yoon at his residence. The CIO, which is investigating Yoon, had earlier tried to arrest him on the 3rd of January.
They had obtained a warrant after he ignored several summons to appear for questioning.
The People Power Party, represented by Yoon, condemned his arrest as “illegal” and the party leader described Wednesday’s events as “deplorable”.
The leader of the opposition Democratic Party said that Yoon’s arrest showed that “justice is alive in South Korea”.
The arrest “is the first step towards restoring constitutional order, democracy and the rule of law”, he told a party meeting.
The country is currently led by Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok as acting president. He was appointed after the first acting president, Han Duck-soo, was impeached by the majority opposition parliament.
Although the arrest of a sitting president is a significant development in South Korean politics, the country’s political crisis is far from over. It is just another stage in the political drama.
The crowds that gathered outside Yoon’s house on Wednesday morning underlined the deep divisions in the country. Anti-Yoon protesters celebrated, while supporters denounced it as a breakdown of the rule of law.
The detention also marked a conflict between the law enforcement authorities, who were carrying out their duties, and Yoon’s security team, who were doing their duty to protect the President.