South Korea's president detained

South Korean law enforcement agencies have detained the temporarily suspended President Yoon Suk-yeol. Despite the politician's statement that "the rule of law in the country has been completely destroyed" («верховенство закона в стране полностью разрушено»), he complied with the arrest warrant to avoid potential clashes between police officers and his security service.

Circumstances of the detention

According to Yonhap News, the arrest was carried out on Wednesday morning when investigators visited Yoon's residence in Seoul to execute the warrant for his detention. This was the second attempt by law enforcement to detain the politician. This time, they managed to overcome the resistance of the president's security service, using ladders to enter the residence through the windows.

According to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), the operation was completed at 10:33 am. After the arrest, Yoon Suk-yeol was taken to the CIO office in Gwacheon, located south of Seoul. The event was accompanied by a live broadcast, in which footage showed a convoy of vehicles leaving the presidential residence.

Background of the situation

Yoon Suk-yeol was removed from office following an impeachment triggered by the brief imposition of martial law in December. For several weeks, he had been hiding in his residence, avoiding public appearances and ignoring summons for questioning. The president's security service and military personnel had repeatedly blocked the entrances to the residence, obstructing the execution of the arrest warrant.

A precedent in the country's history

The arrest of Yoon Suk-yeol marks the first instance in South Korean history where a serving, albeit temporarily suspended, president of the country has been detained.