Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Surrenders to Investigators To Avoid Bloodshed Between Police and Presidential Guard During Second Attempt To Arrest Him
The political instability in Seoul continues as news arises that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been arrested in a second attempt by the police authorities, six weeks after his short-lived attempt to impose martial law and 10 days after a first failed arrest attempt.
Sky News reported:
“A motorcade of black SUVs was seen leaving the gates of his hillside residence where he had been holed up for weeks behind barbed wire and a small army of personal security.
Mr Yoon said the “rule of law has completely collapsed” in a video message recorded before he was escorted to the headquarters of an anti-corruption agency. He said he was complying with the detention warrant to prevent clashes between police and the presidential security service.”
Yoon’s lawyers tried yet again to keep investigators from executing the arrest warrant, saying the president would ‘voluntarily appear for questioning’.
“Police had been trying to access the president’s official office to detain him but had become engaged in a standoff with Mr. Yoon’s security service.”
Eventually, hundreds of officers entered the grounds of the Palace using ladders to climb over barriers, as police reportedly deployed 3,200 officers to execute the arrest warrant.
“One person who collapsed amid the standoff has been transported away from the scene by the fire department, local media said.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials and police are jointly investigating whether Mr. Yoon’s martial law declaration on 3 December amounted to an attempted rebellion.”
Before arresting the impeached President, South Korean investigators first arrested his acting chief of presidential security, Kim Sung-hoon, for blocking their initial attempt to arrest Mr. Yoon earlier this month.
“Mr. Yoon’s presidential security service prevented dozens of investigators from arresting him after a standoff lasted nearly six hours on 3 January.”
Yoon declared martial law and deployed troops around the National Assembly at the beginning of December.
The failed attempt lasted only hours before politicians breached the blockade and voted to lift the measure.
This was followed by his presidential powers being suspended by a vote to impeach him on 14 December, accusing him of rebellion.
BREAKING: IMPEACHED SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT YOON DETAINED ON INSURRECTION CHARGES
After hours of negotiations and heightened tensions, investigators have officially detained impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of leading an insurrection linked to his brief… https://t.co/h6FJaOkjwk pic.twitter.com/rE2s8K6CVs
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 15, 2025
For his part, President Yoon described his appearance for questioning as a ‘voluntary’ decision taken with the objective of preventing violence between police and his Presidential guard.
Yonhap News Agency via Sputnik:
“In order to stop unwanted bloodshed, I made the decision to appear in the prosecutor’s office despite the illegality of these actions,” Yoon stated.
He explained that investigators had attempted to breach the guarded area of his residence using ‘firefighter equipment’, prompting his decision to cooperate.”
The impeached president vowed to uphold the Constitution while also rejecting ‘the validity of the investigative process’.
“‘My consent to participate in that illegal and invalid process does not constitute its acceptance’, he said, framing his actions as a step to prevent violence.”
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