South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol is refusing to cooperate with investigators following his historic arrest, even as his conservative party sees an unexpected surge in popularity amid deepening political divisions.
In a dramatic pre-dawn operation on Wednesday, South Korean authorities deployed 1,000 officers to scale walls, cut through barbed wire, and navigate freezing temperatures to arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol, marking the first time a sitting president has been taken into custody in the nation’s history.
The arrest on Wednesday ended a week-long standoff and came after a failed attempt earlier this month when Yoon’s security detail blocked investigators. This time, armed with ladders and bolt cutters, officers methodically dismantled barricades, including parked buses, while others hiked nearby trails to access the presidential residence in central Seoul.
Minutes before his arrest, the 64-year-old leader released a three-minute video agreeing to cooperate with investigators while maintaining the warrant was illegal.
“I decided to appear before the CIO, even though it is an illegal investigation, to prevent any unsavoury bloodshed,” Yoon had said.
The president faces charges of insurrection related to a failed martial law order from December 3 that threw the country into chaos. While already impeached and suspended from office, Yoon can only be officially removed if the Constitutional Court upholds the impeachment.
Meanwhile, authorities announced plans to seek an extended detention warrant that could keep the impeached leader in custody for up to 20 days.
Current detention orders allow investigators to hold Yoon until today, Friday. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials must secure a new warrant to continue their investigation, which has been complicated by the president’s refusal to cooperate.
Outside the CIO office, the arrest sparked contrasting reactions, with opponents celebrating what they viewed as a triumph for law enforcement while supporters decried it as a breakdown of legal order.
Yoon’s fate as president hangs in balance as the Constitutional Court reviews his December 14 impeachment, with 180 days to reach a decision.
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