Ruler Yoon Suk-yeol: Arrest in political crisis!

Ruler Yoon Suk-yeol: Arrest in political crisis!

A political storm is brewing in South Korea: suspended President Yoon Suk-yeol was recently arrested, marking the first such action against a sitting president in the country's history. Yoon is suspected of declaring martial law on December 3, 2024, which led to a massive political crisis. His lawyer expressed concern that investigators would seek a warrant to detain Yoon for another 20 days. These developments came on Friday as the court ruled that the arrest was lawful, while Yoon's lawyers described the move as humiliating and unlawful, as the Kleine Zeitung reported.

Protests and resistance

The situation escalated further when several thousand Yoon supporters tried to block police from enforcing the arrest warrant on Thursday. Tensions rose with the threat of deploying soldiers, with police forced to suspend enforcement due to resistance. “We determined that the execution of the arrest warrant would be virtually impossible due to the ongoing confrontation,” the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) said. This shows that the love and loyalty of the Yoon followers was not only a show of support but also of potential violence, such as the Süddeutsche Zeitung reported.

The statements Yoon gave to his supporters further fueled tensions. He accused “anti-state forces” and was determined to protect his country. The hardships surrounding Yoon's possible conviction for insurrection and abuse of power, which could result in life imprisonment in the worst case scenario, are further driving polarization in the country. The Constitutional Court will soon decide on Yoon's final removal from office as currents within the political landscape continue to deepen.