Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Arrested Over Martial Law Chaos

Seoul: South Korea has been witnessing a political turmoil for the past many weeks that escalated after the then-President of the country, Yoon Suk Yeol imposed martial law, only to recall it after mass opposition and protests; what followed the Martial Law chaos was President Yoon's impeachment. In a major update, impeached President Yoon has been arrested by the law enforcement officials, after they entered his residential compound, in their second attempt to arrest him.

Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Arrested

South Korea's anti-corruption agency says impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol has been detained hours after the hundreds of the agency's investigators and police officers arrived at his presidential compound to apprehend him. A series of black SUVs, some equipped with sirens, were seen leaving the presidential compound with police escorts.

Law Enforcement Officials Enter Yoon's Residential Compound

Seemingly hundreds of law enforcement officials in South Korea entered the residential compound of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol early on Wednesday in the capital Seoul. It was their second attempt to detain him over his imposition of martial law last month.

Following an hours-long standoff at the compound's gate, anti-corruption investigators and police officers were seen moving up the hilly compound. Police officers were earlier seen using ladders to climb over rows of buses placed by the presidential security service near the compound's entrance. Law enforcement officials may face more obstacles as they approach Yoon's residential building.

Despite a court warrant for Yoon's detention, the presidential security service has insisted it's obligated to protect the impeached president and has fortified the compound with barbed wire and rows of buses blocking paths. As tensions escalated, South Korea's acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, issued a statement urging law enforcement and the presidential security service to ensure there are no "physical clashes".

Groups of police officers dressed in black jackets and police vehicles, including a white van possibly with members of a search and arrest team inside, were seen in front of the presidential compound's closed metal gate. Separate groups of police officers were also seen moving up a trekking path near the hilly compound, apparently pursuing another route to get inside. Some police officers were later seen successfully entering the residence, using ladders to climb over rows of buses the presidential security service placed as a barricade.

Thousands of People Outside Yoon's Residential Compound, What's Happening in South Korea?

Yoon's lawyers said the presidential security service will continue to provide security for Yoon and claimed that the detainment warrant issued by the Seoul Western District Court was invalid. They cited a law that protects locations potentially linked to military secrets from search without the consent of the person in charge -- which would be Yoon. The court warrant for Yoon's detainment is valid through January 21.

Lawmakers from Yoon's People Power Party, along with at least one of his lawyers, were earlier seen at the residence's gate, apparently arguing with anti-corruption officials and police officers attempting to enter.

Hundreds of Yoon's supporters and critics held competing protests near the residence -- one side vowing to protect him, the other calling for his imprisonment -- while thousands of police officers in yellow jackets closely monitored the situation, setting up perimeters with buses.

Yoon's top aide on Tuesday pleaded with law enforcement agencies to abandon their efforts to detain him. Presidential Chief of Staff Chung Jin-suk said Yoon could instead be questioned at a "third site" or at his residence and said the anti-corruption agency and police were trying to drag him out like he was a member of a "South American drug cartel". But Yoon Kab-keun, one of the president's lawyers, said Chung issued the message without consulting them and that the legal team has no immediate plan to make the president available for questioning by investigators.

If investigators manage to detain Yoon Suk Yeol, they will likely ask a court for permission to make a formal arrest. Otherwise, he will be released after 48 hours. Yoon has not left his official residence in Seoul for weeks, and the presidential security service prevented dozens of investigators from detaining him after a nearly six-hour standoff on January 3.

All About the Martial Law Chaos

Yoon declared martial law and deployed troops around the National Assembly on December 3. It lasted only hours before lawmakers managed to get through the blockade and vote to lift the measure.

Yoon's presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on December 14, accusing him of rebellion. His fate now rests with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberating on whether to formally remove Yoon from office or reject the charges and reinstate him.

In preventing Yoon's detention on January 3, presidential bodyguards were assisted by troops assigned to guard the presidential residence under the command of the presidential security service. However, Defence Ministry spokesperson Lee Kyung-ho said on Tuesday the troops will no longer participate in efforts to block the execution of Yoon's detention warrant and will focus solely on guarding the compound's perimeter. 

(Inputs from AP)