South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was detained Wednesday morning following a tense standoff at his presidential compound, marking the first time a sitting president has been apprehended in the nation’s history, per the Associated Press.
The political drama unfolded like a blockbuster production, with black SUVs, police escorts, and a five-hour siege of the presidential residence that saw law enforcement scaling buses and snipping barbed wire to reach the defiant leader. Yoon, who had been holed up in his Hannam-dong residence for weeks, maintained his theatrical stance until the end, recording a video message before his arrest where he declared that “the rule of law has completely collapsed in this country.”
The impeached president’s Dec. 3 martial law declaration — which opposition lawmakers dramatically thwarted by breaking through military blockades — culminated in his Dec. 14 impeachment by parliament and has now led to his detention by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials. The agency is investigating whether his declaration amounted to an attempted rebellion, with investigators getting a 48-hour window to request a formal arrest warrant.
Adding to the political spectacle, Yoon exercised his right to remain silent during initial questioning, according to agency officials. The Seoul Western District Court’s detention warrant pulled no punches, suggesting there were “substantial reasons” to suspect Yoon as a “ringleader of a rebellion.”
In true political theater fashion, competing protests have erupted near the presidential compound, with Yoon’s supporters and critics staging rival demonstrations while police in yellow jackets maintain an uneasy peace.
The White House National Security Council has weighed in on the unfolding drama, carefully threading the diplomatic needle by expressing support for “the Korean people and our shared commitment to the rule of law” while affirming its relationship with acting leader Choi Sang-mok’s government.
The Constitutional Court, which began its impeachment hearings Tuesday in a brief five-minute session marked by Yoon’s absence, now holds the power to determine whether this political thriller ends with his removal from office or an unexpected comeback.
