South Korea: Yoon Suk-yeol was arrested
South Korean authorities on Wednesday arrested South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was ousted in December after trying to impose martial law, investigators said.
The vehicles of the presidential convoy left Yoon Suk-yeol's villa, where he had holed up for several weeks under the protection of the presidential security services, to reach the premises of the anti-corruption office (CIO), responsible for the investigation.
Yoon Suk-yeol had ignored several summons from investigators wishing to question him as part of a criminal investigation into accusations of insurrection for his attempt to impose martial law on December 3.
The authorities now have 48 hours to question him, after which they must release him or request a detention warrant for a maximum period of 20 days.
Yoon Suk-yeol said he surrendered for questioning to avoid violence after more than 3,000 police officers entered his residence to arrest him.
“When I saw them entering the security zone today (…), I decided to respond to the IOC's investigation – although it is illegal – in order to avoid a bloodbath” , he explained in a press release.
Yoon Suk-yeol, however, refused to speak and did not agree to have his interviews with investigators recorded on video, an IOC official said.
The president's lawyers believe that the arrest warrant presented by investigators is not legal and that his arrest aims to publicly humiliate him.
Light clashes broke out between supporters of Yoon Suk-yeol and police near the leader's residence as local media reported that his arrest could take place soon, according to a Reuters journalist present at the scene.
PROTESTERS
Thousands of protesters also gathered outside the IOC offices, waving South Korean and American flags and chanting the slogan “Stop the Steal”, in reference to Yoon Suk-'s alleged accusations of election fraud. yeol, one of the reasons he gave for declaring martial law.
Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law in South Korea on December 3, a move that plunged Asia's fourth-largest economy and one of the United States' main military allies into the country's most serious political crisis. known for decades.
In a handwritten letter posted on his Facebook page, Yoon Suk-yeol said he was often called crazy for not compromising.
He claimed there was too much evidence of election fraud for it to be considered a conspiracy theory and acknowledged there was not enough evidence to punish any specific person.
The Election Commission, which was one of Yoon Suk-yeol's targets during his brief declaration of martial law, has denied accusations of fraud. The electoral system is transparent and subject to significant oversight, she said.
The Constitutional Court must also decide to confirm or deny the impeachment procedure against Yoon Suk-yeol.
(Reporting by Hyunsu Yim, Joyce Lee, Ju-min Park, Hyonhee Shin and Cynthia Kim, writing by John Geddie; French version by Camille Raynaud and Etienne Breban, editing by Kate Entringer)
