South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been detained by the country's anti-corruption agency on Wednesday, more than a month after he shocked the world by declaring a short-lived martial law in the country. Yoon, who was impeached on December 14, was arrested after a multi-day operation involving over 1,000 officers.
His supporters and members of the presidential security had resisted previous attempts to arrest Yoon, who had been holed up in the presidential palace for weeks.
Despite a court warrant for Yoon¡¯s detention, the presidential security service has insisted it is obligated to protect the impeached president and had fortified the compound with barbed wire and rows of buses blocking paths.
On Wednesday too, Yoon¡¯s lawyers tried to persuade investigators not to execute the detention warrant, saying the president would voluntarily appear for questioning, but the agency declined.
In a video message recorded before his arrest, Yoon said he had agreed to attend questioning with investigators to prevent the risk of bloodshed, while describing it as an "illegal investigation."
The 64-year-old Yoon, the leader of the People Power Party, who became the South Korean President in May 2022, was ousted through impeachment for his failed attempt to declare martial law in the country on December 3.
Yoon, who had been losing popularity and facing several allegations, including corruption by his wife Kim Keon Hee, tried to cling to power by subverting the country's constitution by declaring martial law on the night of December 3 and annulling the parliament.
In a televised address to the nation, Yoon said he was protecting the country from "anti-state" forces that sympathised with North Korea.
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However, his attempts at state capture were thwarted by thousands of ordinary South Koreans, who defied the martial law and protested on the streets of Seoul.
The South Korean National Assembly also held an unusual sitting the same night, while the army was trying to arrest MPs, to vote unanimously to revoke the martial law.
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