South Korean authorities arrested President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday, January 15, following his controversial declaration of martial law on December 3, a move that shocked the country.

The president had previously agreed to testify before the state anti-corruption agency investigating him, according to his lawyer, Seok Dong-hyeon, who also said Yoon plans to speak publicly later in the day. 

Shortly after the arrest was announced, a convoy of official vehicles was seen leaving the president’s residence. Yoon had been protected for weeks by barbed wire barriers and a personal security team following previous failed arrest attempts.

Before dawn, over 3,000 police officers and anti-corruption investigators surrounded his residence, confronting supporters and members of his party, the People Power Party, who resisted his detention. 

The arrest warrant, the first ever issued against a sitting president in South Korea, has been challenged by Yoon’s lawyers, who claim it is legally invalid and meant to publicly humiliate him. Tensions escalated hours before the arrest, with minor clashes between police and Yoon’s supporters. 

How did events unfold?

On December 3, Yoon surprised the nation by declaring martial law, triggering international alarm and a brief period of internal uncertainty. The National Assembly quickly revoked the measure, but the incident left the country in a state of unprecedented political unrest. 

On December 14, the National Assembly voted in favor of an impeachment motion against Yoon, though the final decision rests with the Constitutional Court.

The court is currently deliberating whether to proceed with the impeachment and permanently remove him from office.

On Tuesday, the process began with a brief hearing that Yoon did not attend, and a second hearing is scheduled for Thursday. 

The court has until mid-June to decide the president’s fate. In the meantime, Yoon officially remains in office while the Constitutional Court reaches its final verdict. 

The arrest of Yoon Suk-yeol marks a historic moment in South Korea, leaving the country in the midst of an unprecedented political crisis, with the international community closely watching the Constitutional Court’s decision.