Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was arrested after a dramatic standoff with law enforcement officials. On Wednesday, police and corruption investigators breached the walls of his residential compound, where he had evaded arrest for nearly two weeks following his controversial martial law declaration on December 3. Officers dismantled barbed wire and barricades set up by his personal security to execute the arrest, which followed a court-issued warrant.
Shockwaves ran through the nation as Yoon declared martial law, prompting his quick impeachment and ouster from office. He is currently under multiple criminal investigations for insurrection, a serious charge with grave consequences for a former president.
Yoon, dubbed “Mr. Clean,” was a former prosecutor who won the 2022 elections for the conservative People Power Party (PPP) despite limited political experience. His ascension to prominence began in 2016 when he investigated then-President Park Geun-hye on charges of corruption. However, his presidency has been marred by the failure to implement his agenda as opposition controls and personal controversies continue to weigh him down.
Over 3,000 police officers were mobilized in the arrest, and Yoon was taken for questioning. In a video statement, he condemned the CIO’s investigation as illegal.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok reassured international diplomats that the government is stable while South Korea struggles through this political turmoil. Martial law declared by Yoon disapproved by most South Koreans has revived support for the PPP following his arrest.
Authorities can interrogate Yoon for 48 hours, following which they will have to procure a warrant to detain him further. He would face a life term if he is formally arrested and convicted of inciting an insurrection. Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court is also hearing his impeachment case, wherein a verdict will determine the future political configuration.