South Korea’s suspended president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was detained on Wednesday over his brief imposition of martial law in December, the Yonhap News Agency reported.
Police and officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) escorted Yoon from his residence to the public prosecutor’s office, marking their second attempt at enforcing the detention warrant. The operation was conducted peacefully despite heightened security concerns.
The CIO confirmed that the warrant was executed at 10:33 a.m. local time (0133 GMT), making Yoon the first sitting South Korean president in history to be detained.
Yoon was later seen entering the CIO headquarters for questioning, where investigators are expected to seek a formal arrest warrant within 48 hours.
In a pre-recorded video message released after his detention, Yoon criticized the investigation as “illegal” but stated that he agreed to cooperate to avoid “ugly bloodshed.”
The Constitutional Court postponed the first impeachment hearing against the 64-year-old on Tuesday due to his absence, which he attributed to security concerns.
Yoon faces charges of abuse of power and sedition following his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3 amid a budget dispute with opposition lawmakers. The National Assembly suspended him in mid-December, with the Constitutional Court currently reviewing the impeachment decision.
Defending his actions, Yoon claimed he imposed martial law to protect South Korea from “anti-state forces,” referring to his political rivals.
For now, former finance minister and deputy prime minister Choi Sang Mok is acting as head of state. The case marks a historic moment in South Korea’s political history, as the nation watches developments unfold.
