South Korean law enforcement officials detained impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday. its short overlay martial law last month.
In a video message recorded before he was escorted to the anti-corruption agency's headquarters, Yoon complained that “the rule of law has completely broken down in this country” but said he was complying with the arrest warrant to prevent clashes between law enforcement agencies. officials and the security service of the president.
A series of black SUVs, some equipped with sirens, were seen leaving the presidential complex, escorted by police. The car that appeared to be carrying Yoon later arrived at the High-ranking Officials' Corruption Investigation Bureau in the nearby city of Gwacheon.
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Yoon was taken into custody about three hours after hundreds of law enforcement officers entered the apartment complex on the second attempt to detain him for imposing martial law last month.
Yun's lawyers tried to convince investigators not to execute the arrest warrant, saying the president would voluntarily appear for questioning, but the agency refused.
Officers did not appear to encounter significant resistance from presidential security forces as they approached Yun's residence, and there were no immediate reports of clashes.
Yoon holed up in his Hannam-dong residence in the capital Seoul for weeks, vowing to “fight to the end” against attempts to oust him.
He justified his declaration of martial law on December 3 as a legitimate act of governance against the “anti-government” opposition, which is using its legislative majority to thwart his plans.
The anti-corruption agency is conducting a joint investigation with police and the military into whether Yoon's declaration of martial law was an attempted rebellion and sought to take him into custody after he ignored several summonses for questioning. They promised tougher measures to detain him after the presidential security service blocked their initial move on January 3.
After hours of standoff at the gate of the compound, anti-corruption investigators and police officers were seen moving up the hilly area. Earlier, it was noticed that the policemen used a ladder to climb over the rows of buses placed by the presidential security service near the entrance to the territory.
Anti-corruption investigators and police later arrived at a metal gate with a gold presidential insignia near Yun's apartment building. Some officers were seen entering a security door on the side of the metal gate, joined by one of Yun's lawyers and his chief of staff. Later, the presidential security service removed the bus and other vehicles that were tightly parked at the gate as a barricade.
Despite a court warrant for Yoon's arrest, the presidential security service insisted it had a duty to protect the impeached president and fortified the compound with barbed wire and rows of buses blocking roads.
Investigators will most likely ask the court for permission to make an official arrest. Otherwise, he will be released after 48 hours.
As tensions escalated, South Korea's acting leader, Vice Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, issued a statement early Wednesday urging law enforcement and the president's security service to ensure there were no “physical clashes.”
The liberal opposition Democratic Party, which led the legislative campaign that led to Yun's impeachment on Dec. 14, issued a statement calling on the presidential security service to desist and cooperate with Yun's detention. Lawmakers from Yun's People's Power Party held a rally outside the presidential residence, denouncing attempts to detain him as illegal.
The National Police Agency has convened several meetings of field commanders in Seoul and neighboring Gyeonggi province in recent days to plan the arrest effort, and the size of the force has prompted speculation that more than a thousand officers could be involved in a possible multi-day operation. The agency and police have openly warned that presidential guards who obstruct the execution of the warrant could be arrested.
Yoon's lawyers said the arrest warrant issued by Seoul's Western District Court was invalid. They cited a law that protects places potentially related to military secrets from being searched without the consent of the person responsible – which Yoon would be. Yun's arrest warrant is valid until January 21.
Yoon's supporters and critics staged rival protests outside the residence — one side vowing to protect him, the other calling for his imprisonment — while thousands of yellow-jacketed police kept a close eye on the tense situation.
Yun declared martial law and deployed troops around the National Assembly on December 3. It lasted just a few hours before lawmakers managed to break through the gridlock and vote to repeal the measure.
Yun's presidency was suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on December 14, accusing him of rebellion. His fate now rests with the Constitutional Court, which has begun debating whether to formally remove Yun from office or dismiss the charges and reinstate him.
The Constitutional Court held its first formal hearing on the case on Tuesday, but the hearing lasted less than five minutes because Yoon refused to attend. The next hearing is scheduled for Thursday, and the trial will continue whether or not Yoon is present.