South Korea's Former President Yoon Arrested by Police Post-Impeachment

South Korea’s anti-corruption agency reported that impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was detained on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, following hours of negotiations and a large-scale presence of investigators and police officers at his presidential residence.

A convoy of black SUVs, some fitted with sirens, was seen departing the presidential compound under police escort after the detention. The operation began early Wednesday when law enforcement officials entered the residence in Seoul, marking their second attempt to take him into custody following his declaration of martial law last month.

Officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) engaged in lengthy discussions with Mr. Yoon’s legal team before executing the detention. The former president had remained inside his Hannam-dong residence for weeks, vowing to resist efforts to remove him from office.

Mr. Yoon defended his December 3, 2024, martial law declaration as a necessary measure to counter what he described as an “anti-state” opposition attempting to obstruct his policies using its legislative majority.

His legal representatives tried to delay the detention by arguing that he would voluntarily cooperate with questioning. However, the anti-corruption agency stated they were not considering this option at the time.

The CIO, working alongside police and military authorities, is investigating whether Mr. Yoon’s declaration of martial law was an act of attempted rebellion. After he ignored multiple summons for questioning, the agency intensified efforts to detain him, following an earlier failed attempt on January 3 when the presidential security service intervened.