Impeached South Korean President Yoon arrested, defends martial law declaration
Yoon has been accused of insurrection for briefly imposing martial law, a move that was swiftly overturned by the country’s National Assembly
South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol was arrested on Wednesday (January 15), local media reports said.
Yoon has been accused of insurrection for briefly imposing martial law in a move swiftly overturned by the country’s National Assembly.
“The Joint Investigation Headquarters executed an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol today (January 15) at 10:33 am (01:30 GMT),” the authorities said in a statement on Wednesday.
Yeol defends imposition of martial law
Yoon Suk Yeol has defended his brief imposition of martial law, insisting that it was a legitimate exercise of presidential authority. In a handwritten message shared on Facebook, Yoon said, "Martial law is not a crime. Martial law is an exercise of presidential authority to overcome a national crisis."
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Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly on December 14, 2024, following his December 3 declaration of martial law, which was swiftly overturned by the Assembly. He is currently under investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) for charges including insurrection and abuse of power. After his arrest, Yoon appeared at the CIO's office in Gwacheon for questioning. The CIO has a 48-hour window to interrogate him before deciding on further legal actions.
'Truly absurd'
Yoon has criticized his impeachment, describing it as "truly absurd" and labeling the opposition's recent withdrawal of the insurrection charge during impeachment proceedings as "a fraudulent impeachment." He has refused to provide testimony during his interrogation by the CIO.
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The Constitutional Court is currently deliberating on whether to permanently remove Yoon from office. If upheld, this decision would necessitate a presidential election within 60 days. In the interim, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok is serving as the acting leader.
First time
Yoon's arrest marks the first time a sitting South Korean president has been detained, pointing out the severity of the political crisis. The situation has deeply divided South Korean society, with large-scale protests from both supporters and opponents of Yoon.
