President Yoon Suk Yeol became the first South Korean leader to be taken into custody for questioning by criminal investigators on Wednesday, ending a weeks-long standoff over his declaration of martial law that plunged the country into a political crisis.
The bodyguards of Mr. Yoon successfully prevented investigators from arresting him on Jan. 3, when they made their first attempt to obtain a court-issued arrest warrant. Since then, the country has been gripped by fears of a violent conflict if both sides refuse to back down.
But when the investigators returned on Wednesday morning with more police officers, some carrying ladders to measure the security barriers, Mr. Yoon did not object. Mr. Yoon then reached an agreement with several law enforcement officers to accompany them. He was not handcuffed and was allowed to go to the investigative headquarters in the presidential car, rather than in a police car.
In a video message released shortly after, Mr. Yoon said he agreed to be questioned to avoid a “bloody” confrontation between his bodyguards and the police. But he called for an investigation and an illegal arrest warrant.
Mr. Yoon is now facing an investigation by officials of the High-ranking Corruption Investigation Office, who are investigating whether he committed treason when he declared martial law on December 3. Investigators can question him for 48 hours and then file a plea. separate court order to legally arrest him.
The announcement of Mr. Yoon’s martial law last month was quickly voted down by the National Assembly, and opposition groups have since accused him of treason by sending troops into Parliament to seize the legislature and arrest his political enemies. He was the first South Korean leader to place his country under military rule since the country’s democratic transition in the late 1980s.
The country’s Constitutional Court is discussing whether the Parliament’s vote on December 14 to criticize Mr. Yoon was legal and whether he should be legally removed from office.
Police buses began arriving before dawn on Wednesday outside the presidential compound on the hill where Mr. Yoon has been trapped there since he was charged. The investigators had planned the attack in detail and increased their level to avoid a repeat of the conflict that happened on Jan. 3, where they were overtaken by members of the presidential guard and had to beat a humiliating retreat after a confrontation that lasted five and a half minutes. hours.
Since then, his guards have reinforced the compound by sending more buses and razor wire to block the gates and walls. Mr. Yoon vowed to “fight to the end” to return to office and said he would not surrender to the court’s mandate, which he considered illegal.
On Wednesday morning, the lawyers of Mr. Yoon, his party’s lawyers and members of the Presidential Security Service stood outside the compound’s gates, it appeared as if he and his followers were preparing to resist new attempts to arrest him. Live footage of the road leading up to his compound in the morning showed a tense atmosphere in sub-freezing temperatures, with jostling and physical fighting at the same time.
Many investigators and police, who gathered at the main gate of Mr. Yoon, they carried ladders to climb over the bus barriers that blocked the road. They arrived at the door of Mr. Yoon, where they met with the president’s bodyguards and lawyers.
The acting president of South Korea, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, warned the government agencies involved in the fight against violence.
“All people and the international community are watching this,” he said in a statement. “We cannot tolerate physical violence for any purpose because it will irreparably damage public trust and our international reputation.”
Sok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer acting as Mr. Yoon’s spokesman, said the president would appear for questioning if the investigators withdrew. But investigators were determined to issue a warrant, and arrested him at 10:33 am
Mr. Yoon left his compound in a traffic circle on his way to the CIO headquarters in Gwacheon, a city south of Seoul. There, he was taken to a room on the third floor where he was expected to face a round of interrogation.
An attempt to take Mr. Yoon and forced him to answer for alleged treason marks the first time in South Korean history that authorities have tried to arrest a sitting president. The events unfolding are all over the country, as news and social media broadcast live.
The day before, the Constitutional Court started a trial on whether to strip Mr. Yoon, who did not appear at the trial. His lawyers said he was afraid that the investigators would arrest him if he left the presidential palace. The court is expected to reconvene on Thursday.