The impeached president of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, was arrested, according to local media
Security personnel gather near buses parked to protect impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol from a possible second arrest attempt, at the main entrance of his official residence in Seoul, South Korea, January 8, 2025.
Reuters | Kim Hong-Ji
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was allegedly arrested by the State Bureau of Corruption Investigation for high-ranking officials, a first for a current South Korean leader.
This was the second attempt to arrest the impeached president, following a failed attempt on January 3 when South Korean Presidential Security Service agents prevented investigators from entering Yoon’s residence.
About 1,000 police officers were reportedly involved in the second attempt to execute the warrant, almost 10 times more than in the first attempt.
The CIO initially requested an arrest warrant after Yoon failed to appear for questioning, which was granted by the Seoul District Court on December 31. The order was then extended after it originally expired on January 6.
Yoon faces sedition charges after the failed declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, a charge that is not subject to presidential immunity and carries the maximum penalty of death.
On December 3, Yoon made a surprise late-night broadcast and declared a state of emergency, citing the need to protect the country from “North Korean communist forces” and “anti-state forces.” This was the first time a state of emergency had been declared in South Korea in more than 40 years.
Lawmakers then managed to get past police barricades and vote a declaration in the country’s parliament, before filing for Yoon’s impeachment several days later. Yoon was impeached on December 14 and suspended from office.
The Constitutional Court of South Korea is
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