South Korea: Investigators Detain Impeached President Yoon Over Martial Law Declaration

South Korea: Investigators detained impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol at his residence on Wednesday. This marked the second attempt to take him into custody for questioning over his brief imposition of martial law. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) executed the detention warrant at 10:33 a.m., making Yoon the first sitting president in South Korea to be arrested, Yonhap news agency reported.

A convoy of vehicles left the presidential residence in central Seoul, transporting Yoon to the CIO office in Gwacheon, south of Seoul. Yoon entered the office to undergo questioning, with investigators planning to seek a warrant to formally arrest him within 48 hours.

Yoon Faces Charges Of Insurrection And Abuse Of Power

The National Assembly impeached Yoon on December 14, suspending him from duty. He faces allegations of insurrection and abuse of power for declaring martial law on December 3. Yoon reportedly deployed troops to the National Assembly to stop lawmakers from overturning the decree.

Yoon defended his actions as a necessary warning to the opposition Democratic Party over what he described as legislative overreach. Following questioning, he is expected to be held at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, near the CIO office.The arrest followed hours of negotiations between investigators and Yoon’s team at his residence. Investigators used ladders to bypass barricades set up by the Presidential Security Service (PSS) and ruling party lawmakers. Police deployed 3,000 officers to secure access, leading to minor clashes between investigators and Yoon’s supporters.

Firefighters treated a middle-aged woman injured during the scuffle. Earlier attempts to detain Yoon failed after a standoff with his security staff.

In a video message after his arrest, Yoon called the investigation “illegal” but agreed to cooperate to avoid further conflict. The Seoul Western District Court issued detention and search warrants after Yoon ignored three summonses from investigators. These warrants, extended last week, remain valid until January 21.

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