SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – JANUARY 15: Investigators arrive on the entrance to the presidential residence of Yoon Suk Yeol, as authorities attempt to execute an arrest warrant, in Seoul, South Korea, on January 15, 2025.
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South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol was reportedly arrested Wednesday by the nation’s Corruption Investigation Workplace for Excessive Rating officers, a primary for a sitting South Korean chief.
This was the second bid to arrest the impeached president, following a failed try on Jan.3 when brokers from South Korea’s Presidential Safety Service had blocked investigators from coming into Yoon’s residence.
About 3,000 law enforcement officials have been concerned within the second try and safe entry to Yoon’s compound, information company Yonhap mentioned.
South Korean media shops additionally reported Yoon in a pre-recorded video mentioned that “the legislation of the nation has collapsed,” and referred to as the CIO’s investigation “unlawful.” Yoon mentioned he would seem earlier than the CIO to “forestall an disagreeable bloodshed,” in response to a Google translation of the stories in Korean.
South Korean shares had a muted response to the information, with the blue-chip Kospi up 0.21% and the small-cap Kosdaq down 0.44%.
The gained weakened barely towards the U.S. greenback, and was final buying and selling at 1,459.75. Yield on 10-year benchmark South Korean bonds additionally rose.
The CIO had initially requested the arrest warrant after Yoon failed to show up for questioning, which was granted on Dec. 31 by a Seoul district court docket. The warrant was then prolonged after it initially expired on Jan. 6.
Yoon faces costs of revolt after his failed declaration of martial legislation on Dec. 3, a cost which isn’t topic to presidential immunity and carries the loss of life penalty at most.
Yoon made a shock late evening broadcast and declared martial legislation final month, citing the necessity to defend the nation from “North Korean communist forces” and “antistate forces.” This was the primary time martial legislation was declared in South Korea in over 40 years.
Lawmakers then managed to get previous police barricades and voted down the declaration on the nation’s parliament, earlier than submitting impeachment motions towards Yoon just a few days later. Yoon was impeached on Dec. 14 and suspended from workplace.
South Korea’s Constitutional Courtroom has opened the impeachment trial on Jan. 14 towards Yoon, however adjourned it to Jan. 16 after Yoon didn’t flip up.
