South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol Arrested After Hours-Long Standoff At Residence – The Guardian

January 15, 2025 TheMcgwire

South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol Arrested After Hours-Long Standoff At Residence

Impeached president being questioned over failed December martial law bid a month after a first arrest attempt ended in stalemate

South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has been arrested and is being questioned over his ill-fated declaration of martial law last month, anti-corruption investigators said on Wednesday, bringing to an end an early-morning standoff outside his official residence in Seoul.

His detention makes him the first sitting president in the nation’s history to be arrested.

Yoon remained defiant, however, saying in a video message before his arrest that he had agreed to cooperate with anti-corruption authorities to “avoid bloodshed” in the latest chapter of a saga that has rocked South Korean politics and triggered concern among its international allies. Yoon claimed the rule of law had “completely collapsed” after his detention.

“President Yoon has decided to personally appear at the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) today,” his lawyer Seok Dong-hyeon said on Facebook, adding that the impeached leader would also make a speech. But investigators announced shortly afterwards that Yoon had been arrested.

A convoy of vehicles, one of which was presumably carrying Yoon, was seen leaving the presidential residence and later arrived at the offices of the anti-corruption agency heading the investigation. Yoon was later seen entering the offices.

CNBC: South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol Arrested as Agencies Probe His Short-Lived Martial Law Decree

Yoon is the first sitting president to be arrested in the country’s history.
This was the second bid to arrest the impeached president, following a failed attempt on Jan. 3.
Over 3,000 police officers were reportedly involved in the second attempt to secure access to the presidential residence

…bout 3,000 police officers were involved in the second attempt to secure access to Yoon’s compound, news agency Yonhap said.

South Korean media outlets also reported Yoon in a pre-recorded video said that “the law of the country has collapsed,” and called the CIO’s investigation “illegal.” Yoon said he would appear before the CIO to “prevent an unpleasant bloodshed,” according to a Google translation of the reports in Korean.

South Korean stocks had a muted reaction to the news, with the blue-chip Kospi
up 0.21% and the small-cap Kosdaq down 0.44%.

The won weakened slightly against the U.S. dollar, and was last trading at 1,459.75. Yield on 10-year benchmark South Korean bonds also rose.

🔗SOURCE ➡️ The Guardian, CNBC

South Korea’s main labour union group calls ‘general strike’ until president Yoon resigns

12/3 – Summary Of The Crazy Events In South Korea:

12/3 – 🚨South Korea Parliament Rejects President’s Martial Law Declaration

🇰🇷 Koreans don’t want a government with 19% approval rating locking the country down!

Koreas President Approval Falls Below 19%! He Was Also Expecting An Impeachment.

The South Korean president is expected to be arrested and impeached, according to Korean media