The president of South Korea was arrested for a failed attempt to introduce martial law

Yun, who has been accused of rebellion over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law last month, said he would submit to investigators to avoid “bloodshed”.

A former prosecutor who led the conservative People’s Power Party (PPN) to victory in the 2022 election, Yun could face the death penalty or life in prison if convicted of rebellion.

He spent weeks trying to avoid arrest, staying in his apartment complex under the protection of members of the Presidential Security Service (PSS), who remained loyal to him.

His guards surrounded the residence with barbed wire and barricades, turning it into what the opposition called a “fortress.”

Yoon, who vowed to “fight to the end”, managed to foil the first arrest attempt on January 3 after a tense hours-long standoff between bodyguards and anti-corruption investigators working with police.

But before dawn on Wednesday, investigators presented a new warrant to Yoon’s guards, who then had to go around bus barricades and cut through barbed wire to get inside the compound, a spokesman for the IT director told reporters.

Hundreds of police officers and investigators from the Office of Corruption Investigation surrounded the residence, some climbing perimeter walls and walking footpaths to reach the main building.

After about five hours of standoff, the authorities announced that Yun had been arrested, and the impeached leader released a pre-recorded video message.

“I have decided to respond to the Corruption Investigation Bureau,” Yoon said in a statement, adding that he disagreed with the legality of the investigation but was complying “to prevent any unfortunate bloodshed.”

– “Illegal warrant!” –

Shortly after Yoon was escorted to the CIO’s office, investigators began questioning Yoon, but they later said he had exercised his “right to remain silent.”

He refused to film during the interrogation, a CIO representative told reporters, adding that Yoon will spend the night in a detention center.

In a later Facebook post that Yoon wrote while at his residence, he repeated claims of election fraud and spoke of “hostile” countries attacking the country, alluding to North Korea.

Earlier, AFP journalists witnessed brief clashes at the gates of the residence, where Yun’s staunch supporters camped out to protect him when authorities first moved into the area.

His supporters chanted “illegal warrant!” waving light sticks and South Korean and American flags. Some were lying on the ground near the main gate of the residential complex.

– Cheeky –

Yoon shocked the nation late on December 3 when he declared martial law, claiming he needed to protect South Korea “from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and eliminate anti-state elements.”

He deployed troops to parliament, but lawmakers defied them and voted against martial law. Yun lifted martial law only six hours later.

Yun can be held in custody for up to 48 hours after his arrest on Wednesday. In order to keep him in custody, investigators will need to apply for another arrest warrant.

Yoon’s legal team has repeatedly denounced the warrant as illegal.

His ruling party also said his arrest was illegal.

“History will inevitably record the fact that the IT director and the police executed an unjust and illegal warrant,” PPP leader Kweon Son-dong told a party meeting.

In a parallel investigation, the Constitutional Court on Tuesday opened a trial on the parliament’s impeachment of Yoon.

If the court approves the impeachment, Yoon will permanently lose the presidency and new elections will be held within 60 days.

The trial was adjourned on Tuesday after only a very brief hearing because Yoon refused to attend, but the proceedings could last for months.

South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party celebrated Yun’s arrest, with a senior official calling it a “first step” toward restoring constitutional and legal order after weeks of unrest.

The speaker of the country’s parliament echoed these sentiments.

“We must focus our efforts on stabilizing state affairs and restoring people’s livelihoods,” Wu Won Shik said.