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Impeached South Korean president detained weeks after martial law chaos

South Korean law enforcement officials have detained impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, bringing him in for questioning following his short-lived martial law declaration last month. Yoon, who reportedly said he was cooperating with the anti-corruption probe to avoid violence, was quoted by Yonhap, one of the country’s largest news outlets, as saying, “Although it is an illegal investigation, I decided to agree to appear at the CIO in order to prevent ugly bloodshed.” Yoon was referring to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO).

The operation to detain Yoon involved around 3,000 personnel deployed to his compound, which was surrounded by protesters both opposing and supporting the embattled leader, according to Yonhap. After being detained, authorities have 48 hours to seek a warrant for his formal arrest. Yoon is referred to as the “ringleader of insurrection” in a search warrant, as reported by Reuters.

Acting President Choi Sang-mok emphasized the need to prevent physical conflict between state agencies in a statement following Yoon’s detention. Choi stated, “I will sternly hold those responsible if unfortunate events occur.” A previous attempt to detain Yoon on Jan. 3 ended in a six-hour-long standoff between military guards and the president’s security staff. The CIO expressed “serious regret about the attitude of the suspect, who did not respond to a process by law.”

Following the failed arrest attempt, Yoon remained at his compound surrounded by his security team. His legal counsel has insisted that executing a warrant for his arrest is difficult under a law barring non-consensual searches of locations potentially linked to military secrets.

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Yoon declared martial law on Dec. 3, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces and accusing the country’s parliament of sympathizing with North Korea. The parliament’s speaker and the leader of Yoon’s own party opposed the declaration, leading to his suspension in a 204-85 vote on Dec. 14.

Attorneys for Yoon have maintained that the probe is not legal and have classified the warrants as part of an attempt to publicly humiliate the embattled leader. Yoon’s arrest comes amidst a deepening political crisis in South Korea, with protests and tensions running high.

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