Seoul:
South Korean authorities on Wednesday arrested impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over revolt accusations associated to his transient declaration of martial legislation on December 3, investigators stated. He is the primary sitting president in South Korea’s historical past to be arrested.
According to reviews, the suspended President was seen leaving his closely fortified residence in central Seoul in a convoy to the workplaces of the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) after a joint staff of investigators and police stated that they had executed the arrest warrant.
Mr Yoon had been holed up at his hillside residence for weeks, behind a small military of non-public safety to keep away from arrest. His legal professionals have argued makes an attempt to detain the impeached Presidnet had been unlawful and had been designed to publicly humiliate him.
On Wednesday morning, his lawyer introduced that the president had agreed to talk to investigators and that he had determined to depart the residence to forestall a “severe incident”.
“President Yoon has determined to personally seem on the Corruption Investigation Office right this moment,” Seok Dong-hyeon stated on Facebook, including that Yoon would additionally ship a speech.
More than 3,000 cops and anti-corruption investigators gathered at his residence earlier than daybreak, pushing via throngs of Yoon supporters and members of his ruling People Power Party protesting makes an attempt to detain him.
Shortly after, investigators introduced that Mr Yoon had been arrested. “The Joint Investigation Headquarters executed an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol right this moment (January 15) at 10:33 am (0130 GMT),” they stated in a press release.
It was their second effort to arrest Yoon.
A primary try on January 3 failed after a tense hours-long standoff with members of Yoon’s official Presidential Security Service (PSS), who refused to budge when investigators tried to execute their warrant.
Mr Yoon’s declaration of martial legislation final month shocked South Koreans and plunged one in every of Asia’s most vibrant democracies into an unprecedented interval of political turmoil. Lawmakers voted to question him and take away him from duties on December 14.
Separately, the Constitutional Court is deliberating over whether or not to uphold that impeachment and completely take away him from workplace.