In a historic move, South Korean authorities arrested impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday over accusations related to his brief declaration of martial law on December 3. This marks the first time in South Korea’s history that a sitting president has been arrested.
Reports say Yoon, who had been holed up in his heavily fortified residence in central Seoul for weeks, was seen leaving the compound in a convoy heading to the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO). The arrest came after a joint operation involving investigators and police executed the arrest warrant.
For weeks, Yoon had remained in seclusion, surrounded by a small army of personal security to avoid arrest. His legal team argued that the efforts to detain him were unlawful and aimed at publicly humiliating the former president. However, on Wednesday morning, Yoon’s lawyer confirmed that he had agreed to speak with investigators, deciding to leave his residence to prevent a potential “serious incident.”
Prior to the arrest, over 3,000 police officers and anti-corruption investigators gathered outside Yoon’s residence before dawn, clashing with his supporters and members of his ruling People Power Party, who protested the move.
Yoon was arrested under an existing warrant, which allows authorities to hold him for up to 48 hours. Should they wish to continue holding him beyond that time, investigators would need to apply for another warrant.
This marks the second attempt to arrest Yoon. A previous effort on January 3 was thwarted by a tense standoff with members of Yoon’s official Presidential Security Service (PSS), who resisted investigators’ attempts to execute the warrant.
Yoon’s declaration of martial law last month shocked South Koreans and led to a period of unprecedented political turmoil. The National Assembly voted to impeach him and remove him from office on December 14. Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court is deliberating on whether to uphold the impeachment, which could permanently remove him from power.
Yoon’s impeachment trial began on Tuesday, though a brief hearing was postponed due to his absence. His team cited safety concerns for his failure to attend. The trial is set to continue on Thursday, with proceedings moving forward without the impeached president present.
এনেধৰণৰ অন্যান্য বা-বাতৰিৰ বাবে লাইক কৰক অসম লাইভ ২৪ ৰ ফেচবুক পেজ
