Suspended South Korean president detained

Suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was detained on Wednesday for briefly imposing martial law during a political standoff in December, marking a historic first in the nation’s political landscape.

According to the Yonhap News Agency, officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), accompanied by police, peacefully escorted Yoon from his residence to the prosecutor’s office. The operation, carried out amid heightened security concerns, concluded without incident.

The CIO confirmed that the detention warrant was executed at 10:33 a.m. local time (0133 GMT). Investigators are expected to seek a formal arrest warrant within 48 hours to continue the legal process.

Yoon’s detention follows his controversial decision on December 3 to declare martial law amidst a heated budget dispute with opposition lawmakers. His declaration was short-lived but sparked national outrage, culminating in impeachment proceedings on charges of abuse of power and sedition.

Despite defending his actions as necessary to protect the country from what he termed “anti-state forces”—a reference to his political adversaries—Yoon faced swift legislative action. By mid-December, lawmakers had voted to suspend him from office, pending a Constitutional Court review.

In a video statement released after his detention, Yoon condemned the investigation as illegal but stated his decision to comply was to avoid potential violence. “Although it is an illegal investigation, I decided to agree to appear at the CIO to prevent ugly bloodshed,” he declared.

The Constitutional Court postponed the first hearing of his impeachment on Tuesday after Yoon’s absence, citing security concerns through his legal team.

In the interim, former Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang Mok has assumed leadership of state affairs, guiding South Korea through this unprecedented political crisis.