While the impeachment of former President Yoon was not a surprise to any, as people predicted the end of his political career following the martial law announcement in the country, in the latest development to the case, the former president has now been arrested following a dramatic and drawn-out showdown with law enforcement.
Bloomberg
One of the most politically intriguing stories to come out of South Korea towards the end of 2024 was the extremely short-lived declaration of martial law in the country that directly led to the impeachment of their newly elected President, President Yoon Suk-yeol. The news broke out on 3rd December 2024 as the unpopular President of the nation declared martial law on national television around 10.25 p.m. This shook the whole nation as the martial law declaration brought up the grim reminders of the Gwangju uprising which took place just 44 years ago and led to the violent killing of 200 people by the dictatorship.
Although martial law in the country took a bloody turn in history, the declaration made in 2024 led to protests taking to the streets in order to fight against history repeating itself. With intense political pressure and the policymakers disagreeing with the decision taken by former President Yoon, the martial law was lifted shortly after its announcement.
Soon after the sudden outburst which was directly caused by the hasty decision taken by the former president, the former President Yoon was impeached and the country is currently being led by Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok who was thrust into power after the first acting President Han Duck-soo was also impeached by the parliament as the opposition has a sizeable majority. While the impeachment of former President Yoon was not a surprise to any, as people predicted the end of his political career following the martial law announcement in the country, in the latest development to the case, the former president has now been arrested following a dramatic and drawn-out showdown with law enforcement.
Yoon, who was safely tucked away and evading arrest in his residential compound, was arrested around the second week of January 2025, as officers broke through the barbed wires and barricades Yoon’s security personnel had erected. While Yoon’s arrest attempt took a major effort by a large team of investigators and police, right before his arrest Yoon released a three-minute-long video stating that he was ready to cooperate with the investigators. He also stated that the investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) was illegal, however, he was cooperating in order to prevent any ‘unsavoury bloodshed’.
The same ideas regarding the investigations against 64-year-old Yoon being illegal were also repeated by the former President’s team of lawyers, who stated that as an anti-corruption agency, the CIO has no power to investigate the insurrection allegations against Yoon.
It appears that the arrest is the least of the former South Korean President’s worries as the investigation under the current warrant would eventually lead to a trial. Yoon, who was being held at Seoul Detention Centre is now facing the possible worst outcomes, as the investigation has now led to the impeached President being charged with ‘insurrection’ following his attempt to declare martial law. As Yoon becomes the first sitting President in South Korean history to be charged with a crime, Yoon is now facing his punishment as insurrection under South Korean law is punishable by life in prison or death. Although the impeached President is highly unlikely to face execution, the turmoil of events that unfolded since December 3rd is most likely the end to the unpopular former President's political career.
