Ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested and questioned by authorities on Wednesday in connection with an investigation into an alleged uprising. Yoon stated that he cooperated with what he called an illegal investigation “only to avoid violence.”
The arrest marks a historic development in South Korea, a country with a history of prosecuting and imprisoning former leaders. Yoon had been staying in his hilltop residence, guarded by personal security that thwarted an earlier arrest attempt, since lawmakers voted to remove him from office following his brief declaration of martial law on December 3.
Yoon agreed to appear for questioning early Wednesday after more than 3,000 police officers marched to his residence. “I decided to respond to the CIO’s investigation—even though it is an illegal investigation—to avoid unpleasant bloodshed,” Yoon said in a statement, referring to the Corruption Investigation Office for Senior Officials (CIO), which is conducting the criminal probe.
A prosecutor accompanied Yoon from his home in Seoul’s upscale Beverly Hills area to the CIO’s austere offices. Yoon entered through a back door, avoiding the press. Authorities have 48 hours to question him, after which they must obtain permission to detain him for up to 20 days or release him.
However, a CIO official stated that Yoon refused to speak during questioning and declined to have his interviews videotaped. Yoon’s lawyers argued that the arrest warrant was illegal, claiming it was issued by a court outside the correct jurisdiction and that the investigative team lacked legal authority. A search warrant at Yoon’s residence, reviewed by Reuters, referred to him as the “ringleader of the uprising.”
Presidential bodyguards are present on the CIO floor where Yoon is being questioned, but he will likely be held at the Seoul Detention Centre, where other high-profile figures, such as former President Park Geun-hye and Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee, have also been detained.
Yoon’s declaration of martial law shocked South Koreans, destabilizing Asia’s fourth-largest economy and triggering unprecedented political turmoil in one of Washington’s key regional security partners. Lawmakers voted to impeach him shortly afterward on December 14.
Separate from the criminal investigation, the Constitutional Court is debating whether to uphold parliament’s impeachment decision, which would permanently remove Yoon from office, or restore his presidential powers.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson stated that the United States would continue to work with the South Korean government and appreciated efforts by the government and citizens to “act in accordance with the Constitution.” Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan’s top government spokesman, said Tokyo was monitoring developments in South Korea with “special and serious interest.”
The arrest attempt, which began before dawn, captivated the nation as hundreds of thousands tuned into live broadcasts showing busloads of police arriving near the presidential residence. Officers pushed past Yoon’s supporters and marched toward the gates of the compound carrying ladders and wire cutters.
Crowds of protesters gathered outside the CIO offices, waving South Korean and American flags and carrying posters with the slogan “Stop the Steal,” referencing Yoon’s unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud. This slogan, familiar from the US elections, drew parallels between Yoon’s case and that of former US President Donald Trump, who has also claimed voter fraud contributed to his 2020 election defeat.
Kim Woo-sub, a 70-year-old retiree protesting Yoon’s arrest, said, “I still have great expectations for Trump to support our president. Election fraud is their common ground, but at the same time, the US needs South Korea to fight China.”
Polls indicate that a majority of South Koreans disapprove of Yoon’s declaration of martial law and support his impeachment. However, the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) has seen a slight revival in recent weeks. In the latest Realmeter poll, support for the PPP stood at 40.8%, while the main opposition Democratic Party garnered 42.2% support.
