South Korea’s President has been apprehended after being impeached.
Yoon Suk Yeol has become South Korea’s first sitting president to be arrested after investigators scaled barricades and cut through barbed wire to take him into custody.
Yoon, a 64-year-old individual, is currently under investigation for the offense of insurrection. The charges against him stem from an unsuccessful attempt to impose martial law on December 3rd, which resulted in significant unrest throughout the country.
Furthermore, Yoon has faced impeachment by parliament and has been temporarily suspended from his position. However, he will not be permanently removed until a decision is reached by the Constitutional Court regarding his impeachment.
Nevertheless, Yoon’s arrest on Wednesday marks the conclusion of a prolonged confrontation between investigators and his presidential security team that had persisted for several weeks.
Investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) were unable to apprehend him on January 3rd following a six-hour confrontation with his security team.
I chose to present myself in front of the Chief Information Officer, despite knowing that it is an unauthorized inquiry.
Just before dawn on Wednesday, a group of investigators arrived at his home in central Seoul, equipped with ladders to navigate buses obstructing the entrance and bolt cutters to remove the barbed wire.
Other members of the roughly 1,000-strong arrest team climbed walls and trekked along nearby paths to access the presidential residence.
After several hours, officials announced that Yoon had been taken into custody.
In a three-minute video released shortly before his arrest, the 64-year-old leader stated that he would cooperate with the investigators, while reiterating his earlier claims that the warrant was not legally legitimate.
He recounted witnessing how officials “invaded” the security boundary of his home using firefighting equipment.
“I chose to present myself to the CIO, despite this being an unlawful investigation, to avert any potential violence,” he remarked.
On Wednesday afternoon, investigators reported that Yoon had remained mute during the questioning.
Yoon is expected to spend the night in custody at the Seoul Detention Centre located in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, which is about 5 kilometers (3 miles) away from the CIO’s office.
However, if a detention warrant isn’t issued by the court within 48 hours of Yoon’s arrest, he will be released and allowed to go back to his residence at the presidential house.
Supporters who are pro-Yoon have been continuously protesting against his arrest outside of the investigating office where he is currently being held.
On Wednesday morning, they had gathered near Yoon’s house along with those who oppose him.
When news broke out regarding Yoon’s arrest announcement, the anti-Yoondemonstrators reacted jubilantly; cheering loudly, clapping their hands together, and playing a song titled “congratulations and celebrations”.
