South Korea’s Impeached President Detained Following Lengthy Standoff Linked to Martial Law Incident – One America News Network
OAN Staff Blake Wolf
10:56 AM – Wednesday, January 15, 2025
On Wednesday, impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was taken into custody at the presidential compound, agreeing to cooperate with a significant operation led by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, an agency focused on combating corruption.
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Yoon’s arrest is linked to the martial law order he issued in December. Although it lasted a brief time, it was aimed at “safeguarding the constitutional order based on freedom and eliminating disgraceful pro-North Korea anti-state factions that undermine the freedom and happiness of our citizens.”
The fallout from Yoon’s martial law declaration led to widespread calls for his impeachment, which succeeded with a two-thirds majority vote, resulting in Prime Minister Han Duck-soo assuming the role of acting president.
However, Han himself faced impeachment as National Assembly members argued he failed to follow the proper procedures during Yoon’s impeachment. Consequently, former Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok stepped in as acting president.
The National Assembly contended that Yoon’s martial law declaration was unconstitutional, citing a lack of a real national emergency and insufficient advance notification to lawmakers.
Yoon’s high-profile arrest involved the deployment of approximately 3,000 law enforcement officers to the compound, where he had been since his impeachment, leading to his arrest just hours after their arrival.
As he exited, Yoon stated, “The rule of law has totally collapsed in this country.”
“Despite this being an unlawful investigation, I chose to comply with the CIO’s request to prevent needless bloodshed,” he added, while vowing to “fight until the end.”
In the meantime, hundreds of Yoon’s conservative supporters gathered outside the anti-corruption agency’s office to protest his arrest, chanting, “We will fight alongside President Yoon Suk Yeol.”
This was the second attempt by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials to bring Yoon into custody.
The first attempt, on January 3rd, resulted in a six-hour standoff with Yoon’s security team, which ultimately ended without resolution.
Yoon’s legal team has consistently maintained that the arrest warrant is unlawful due to South Korean regulations prohibiting non-consensual searches of locations related to military secrets.
The anti-corruption agency has a 48-hour window to seek a court order for Yoon’s formal arrest. Should they not do so, he may be released as prosecutors prepare to indict him on rebellion and abuse of power charges.
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