First Arrest of a Sitting President
Yoon Suk Yeol, the president of South Korea, has made history as the country’s first sitting leader to be arrested. On Wednesday, investigators used ladders and bolt cutters to bypass his security and take him into custody.
Yoon, 64, is facing charges of insurrection for allegedly ordering a failed martial law on December 3 that caused nationwide chaos. Although parliament has already impeached him, he will only lose his position permanently if the Constitutional Court agrees with the decision.
“I decided to appear before the investigators… to prevent any unsavoury bloodshed,” Yoon said in a video before his arrest.
Dramatic Arrest After Weeks of Standoff
This arrest follows a long standoff. Earlier, on January 3, officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) tried to arrest Yoon but were stopped by his security team during a six-hour confrontation.
On Wednesday morning, a 1,000-member team of investigators and police made a new attempt. They climbed over buses, cut through barbed wire, and even scaled nearby walls to reach Yoon’s residence in central Seoul. After several hours, they finally arrested the president.
Yoon’s Response and Legal Battle
Yoon’s lawyers have called the arrest illegal, arguing the CIO cannot investigate insurrection charges and that the warrant was issued in the wrong jurisdiction.
Despite these claims, a court rejected Yoon’s attempt to block the warrant, saying it remains lawful.
Investigators later revealed that Yoon stayed silent during questioning.
Political Reactions
Opposition leader Park Chan-dae of the Democratic Party praised the arrest.
“Justice in South Korea is alive,” he said, calling it a step toward restoring democracy and the rule of law.
Who Is Leading South Korea Now?
The country is now being led by Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok as acting president. He took over after the first acting president, Han Duck-soo, was also impeached by the opposition-majority parliament.
Yoon’s arrest marks a turning point in South Korean politics, showing how even the highest officials can be held accountable under the law.
