Seoul: South Korean authorities arrested impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday over insurrection accusations related to his short-lived December 3 martial law declaration, according to reports.
A motorcade was seen leaving the gates of his residence on Wednesday. Yoon had been holed up for weeks behind barbed wire barriers and a small army of personal security at his residence. Earlier attempts to arrest him were failed.
Early on Wednesday, over 3,000 police officers and anti-graft investigators had gathered outside his home before dawn, pushing through hundreds of his supporters and members of the ruling People Power Party.
The current scene in front of the President’s residence shows a rally in support of President Yoon. It is now approaching 1 a.m. Korean time, with a wind chill of -9°C. Crowds are gathering following reports that the CIO and police may attempt to forcibly arrest the President in… pic.twitter.com/4kmqqje0jm
— Paul Sungwon Kim (@paulswpkim) January 14, 2025
Yoon’s lawyers argued that the attempts to detain the leader were illegal. Yoon’s declaration of martial law had stunned South Koreans, leading to an unprecedented period of political turmoil. Lawmakers voted to impeach him on December 14.
What did he say before his arrest?
Minutes before his arrest, a video speech of Yoon was reportedly released. “Dear citizens, how have you been? I would like to thank you so much for cheering me on and giving me so much support. Unfortunately, the law has completely collapsed in this country. It is truly regrettable to see warrants being issued to agencies without investigative authority, and courts without warrant review authority issuing arrest warrants and search and seizure warrants, and investigative agencies issuing false official documents to deceive the public, committing such illegal acts and forcibly proceeding with procedures using invalid warrants,” he said.
SAVE KOREA! SAVE PRESIDENT YOON!
Message from President Yoon Seok-youl to the People of the Republic of Korea
Dear respected citizens,
I hope this message finds you well.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who have supported me and shown me such strong… pic.twitter.com/RDQOzVBiRz
— 박주현변호사 (@parkjoohyeon79) January 15, 2025
“Even though I am disadvantaged like this, I really hope that this kind of thing will not happen to our citizens in the future when they experience criminal cases like this. Today, I saw them infiltrating the security zone using firefighting equipment, and in order to prevent an unpleasant bloodshed, I decided to appear before the Public Prosecutor’s Office, even though it is an illegal investigation,” he added.
