The ousted South Korean president was arrested for the first time – nationally
South Korea's ousted president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was arrested at a large legal briefing at the presidential palace on Wednesday, defiantly insisting that the anti-corruption agency had no authority to investigate his actions but saying he complied to stop the violence.
Yoon, the country's first president to be arrested, now faces the possibility of a long prison term on treason charges.
In a video message that was recorded just before he was escorted to the headquarters of the anti-corruption organization, Yoon lamented that “the law has completely broken down in this country.
Yoon has been holed up in a house in Hannam-dong in the capital, Seoul, for weeks while vowing to “fight to the end” efforts to deport him. He justified his declaration of martial law on December 3 as a formal act of governance against an “anti-national” opposition party that is using its legal majority to thwart his agenda.
The Office of Corruption Perceptions Officers said Yoon was taken into custody about five hours after investigators arrived at the presidential palace and three hours after they successfully entered the compound, in their second attempt to detain him for imposing martial law.
A series of black SUVs, some armed with flags, were seen leaving the presidential compound, escorted by the police. Yoon was later seen getting out of the car after arriving at the agency's office in the nearby city of Gwacheon.
Hundreds of Yoon's conservative supporters gathered near the office of the anti-corruption agency when he was questioned, shouting slogans and holding signs that read: “We will fight President Yoon Suk Yeol.”
Also on Wednesday, an unidentified man was in life-threatening condition after he appeared to have shot himself near the scene, according to the Gyeonggi Province fire department. After being questioned, Yoon was expected to be sent to a center in Uiwang, near Seoul.
Yoon could be held in custody for weeks, maybe even months or more.
The anti-corruption agency, which is leading a joint police and military investigation into whether Yoon's declaration of martial law amounted to attempted treason, has 48 hours to request a court order for his formal arrest.
If it fails to do so, Yoon will be released. If Yoon is formally arrested, investigators can extend his detention for up to 20 days before referring the case to public prosecutors for charges.
If prosecutors charge Yoon with treason and abuse of power, allegations investigated by investigators, he could be jailed until the first court's decision, which is usually issued within six months, said Park Sung-bae, a hard-working lawyer. criminal law.
Under South Korean law, a rebel leader can face the death penalty or imprisonment, if convicted.
“If the court of first instance issues a prison sentence, the detention will continue,” said Park. “If they sentence him to life in prison, for example, he continues to serve that sentence until the end.”
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Yoon's defense minister, the police chief and several senior military commanders have been jailed for their role in enforcing martial law.
Yoon's arrest warrant, issued by the Seoul Western District Court, said there were serious grounds to suspect that he had committed crimes as a “rebellious leader.”
The anti-corruption agency told reporters that Yoon, during several hours of questioning until Wednesday evening, exercised his right to remain silent.
Yoon's presidential powers were suspended when parliament impeached him on December 14. The impeachment case is now before the Constitutional Court, which can formally remove Yoon from office or dismiss the case and reinstate him.
In a separate message posted on his Facebook account after his arrest, Yoon said “martial law is not a crime,” and said his announcement was necessary to raise awareness of the opposition's use of “legal tyranny by blocking laws and budgets” again. “paralyzes” state affairs. He has denied accusations of treason, describing his impeachment as a “fraud.”
The situation in the compound
As they began the crackdown at dawn, anti-corruption investigators and police officers engaged in an hour-long standoff at the compound's gate with the president's security forces, but did not face any serious resistance.
The police were seen using wire cutters to remove the barbed wire that the presidential security unit had placed at the edge of the compound to block their entry. Some officers used ladders to climb over the rows of buses blocking the entrance to the compound, and the searchers began to climb the hilly courtyard. Investigators and police later arrived in front of the iron gate with the golden presidential seal near Yoon's building. Other police officers were seen entering through the security door at the side of the iron gate, along with one of Yoon's lawyers and his manager, before Yoon was escorted out.
Preparations and concerns
South Korea's acting leader, Vice Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, issued a statement early Wednesday urging law enforcement and the president's security forces to ensure there were no “physical confrontations.”
After Yoon's arrest, Choi met with officials from the Group of Seven Nations, including the United States, Japan, the UK and Germany, as well as a representative of the European Union, to ensure that the government is operating stably.
Park Chan-dae, the grassroots leader of the opposition Democratic Party, which has waged a legal campaign against Yoon, said Yoon's arrest is “the first step to restore constitutional order, democracy and the rule of law.”
Lawyers for Yoon's People Power Party denounced their arrest as illegal.
The National Police Agency has met with field commanders in Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi province in recent days to plan their efforts to arrest Yoon, and the size of the force has prompted speculation that more than 1,000 police could be deployed. The agency and the police have come out and warned that the president's bodyguards who prevent the execution of the warrant should be detained.
Yoon's lawyers said the arrest warrant issued by the Seoul Western District Court was illegal. They cited a law that protects areas that may be linked to military secrets from searches without the consent of the person in charge – which would be Yoon. They also said that the anti-corruption organization does not have the legal authority to investigate allegations of apostasy.
“I'm really surprised to see illegal things in terms of violations being done and forced procedures under an invalid warranty,” Yoon said in the video.
“I do not accept the investigation conducted by the office that investigates the corruption of high-ranking officials. As the president, who is responsible for upholding the constitution and legal system of the Republic of Korea, my decision to comply with these illegal and illegal procedures is not because I am aware of them, but because I am determined to prevent terrible and bloody events.”
Yoon's supporters and critics held competing protests near the residence – one side vowing to protect him, the other calling for his arrest – while thousands of yellow-jacketed police kept a close watch on the tense situation.
Some of Yoon's fans responded with dismay as they watched the motorcycle procession head towards Gwacheon. A few were removed by the police after lying down on the street in protest.
Yoon declared martial law and deployed troops to the National Assembly compound on December 3. It took several hours before lawmakers were able to break the deadlock and vote to remove the measure. The opposition-led assembly voted to impeach him on treason charges on December 14.
The Constitutional Court held its first official hearing on the impeachment case on Tuesday, but the meeting lasted less than five minutes because Yoon refused to attend. The next hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
