Seoul: South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol has become the nation's first sitting president to be formally arrested following a Seoul court's decision to issue a warrant for his detention. This arrest comes in the wake of Yoon's controversial martial law declaration last month, which has thrown the country into a significant political crisis.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Seoul Western District Court approved the arrest warrant, citing sufficient evidence for the charges against Yoon and expressing concerns about the potential for evidence tampering. The warrant permits investigators to keep Yoon in custody for up to 20 days, including the time he has already spent detained since his apprehension at his residence in Seoul.
The Constitutional Court of South Korea is currently deliberating on whether to reinstate Yoon in his role or permanently remove him from office. The current situation stems from a series of tumultuous events that began when Yoon narrowly won the presidential election on March 9, 2022, becoming the 13th president of South Korea.
On December 3, 2024, Yoon declared martial law, claiming the opposition-controlled National Assembly was comprised of 'anti-state forces' and a 'den of criminals.' The main opposition Democratic Party swiftly called for an emergency parliamentary session in response, prompting Yoon to deploy troops to prevent lawmakers from convening.
The martial law declaration was short-lived, lasting only six hours, as a two-thirds majority of lawmakers, including some from Yoon's own People Power Party (PPP), voted against it. Following this, troops and police began to withdraw, and martial law was formally lifted after a Cabinet meeting on December 4.
Subsequent days saw Yoon making several controversial moves, including replacing Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who was suspected of advising the martial law declaration. On December 6, the leader of Yoon's PPP, Han Dong-hun, supported suspending Yoon's powers to prevent another martial law attempt.
Yoon managed to survive an impeachment motion on December 7 due to a boycott by ruling party lawmakers. However, his administration continued to unravel as former Defense Minister Kim was detained on December 8 for his alleged involvement in the martial law enforcement. Additional revelations came when the Army Special Warfare Command's commander disclosed that Yoon ordered troops to forcibly remove lawmakers, an order that was not executed.
On December 11, Yoon's security team prevented police from searching his office for evidence regarding the martial law declaration. The national and Seoul police chiefs were detained for enforcing Yoon's orders. The following day, Yoon defended his actions as governance and denied charges of rebellion.
The National Assembly proceeded to impeach Yoon on December 14, which led to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo assuming presidential duties. Further turmoil ensued with the National Assembly impeaching acting President Han on December 27 due to his reluctance to fill Constitutional Court vacancies.
The legal challenges for Yoon intensified when a Seoul court issued a warrant on December 31 to detain him for potential insurrection, a serious charge that could result in life imprisonment or execution. Tensions escalated when investigators faced resistance from security forces while attempting to search Yoon's compound.
Following a brief Constitutional Court hearing on January 14, where Yoon was absent, investigators conducted a raid on January 15, resulting in Yoon's arrest. On January 19, the Seoul Western District Court granted a formal arrest warrant, identifying Yoon as a threat to the integrity of the investigation.
Thousands of Yoon's supporters gathered outside the court to demonstrate solidarity, with some resorting to breaking into the court premises. Yoon remains firm in his decision not to cooperate with the investigation. His future now rests with the Constitutional Court, which has 180 days from the impeachment to decide on his reinstatement or permanent removal.