Impeached South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol was taken into custody on Wednesday, more than a month after his declaration of martial law shocked the country.
Yun resisted earlier attempts to arrest him as security forces and thousands of his supporters stood between police and the presidential palace in Seoul. In a second attempt to arrest Yun, more than 3,000 police officers were dispatched to the presidential palace and arrested him with “no serious physical confrontation,” according to CNBC. CIO) announced. The CIO added, “At this time, there were no individuals or security staff actively interfering with enforcement.”
After his arrest, Yun was interrogated by authorities and sent to a detention center, according to the Associated Press. “The rule of law has completely collapsed in this country,” Yun said in a recorded video before his arrest, calling the CIO’s investigation into his actions “illegal.” The president added that he would be willing to appear for questioning by the CIO to “prevent unpleasant bloodshed.”
According to the Associated Press, hundreds of Yun’s supporters showed up outside the CIO office where Yun is being interrogated, with some demonstrators holding placards that read “We will fight with President Yun Seok-yue.” Some participants reportedly had one.
The CIO was granted an arrest warrant for Yoon by a Seoul court late last month. Mr. Yun was accused of abusing his power when he declared martial law and dispatched the military to the National Assembly on December 3 when members of Congress gathered to repeal martial law, and was subsequently impeached and his presidential powers suspended. It was done. For him to be removed, six of the nine judges of the South Korean Constitutional Court must vote in favor of his removal.
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The CIO has 48 hours to ask the court to formally arrest Yun, and if approved, the impeached president could be detained for up to 20 days before being indicted. If charged with sedition and abuse of power, Yun could be held in police custody for up to six months, or until a court makes an initial ruling on the case, according to the Associated Press.
Last month, Yoon declared martial law, arguing that it was necessary to “protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces and eradicate shameless pro-North Korean anti-national forces.”
Yun cited poor relations with the opposition-led National Assembly, which has targeted 22 officials for impeachment since he took office in 2022, and plans to impeach 10 more officials. It is said that he established The president also referred to the National Assembly’s cuts to the national budget, saying it had “impaired the nation’s vital functions and turned South Korea into a drug haven and a security panic.”
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.
