Impeached South Korean President Yoon arrested after failed martial law bid

South Korean authorities on Wednesday arrested President Yoon Suk Yeol, a month after his brief declaration of martial law.
After authorities entered his residence to arrest him, South Korea's impeached President Yoon agreed to appear at the office of investigators probing him for insurrection, his lawyer confirmed.

"President Yoon has decided to personally appear at the Corruption Investigation Office today," lawyer Seok Dong-hyeon said on Facebook, adding that the impeached president would also deliver a speech.

This was the the second attempt to detain Yoon. Over 1,000 police and anti-corruption officers were involved in a multiday operation to detain Yoon, who had been staying in his Seoul residence for weeks.
Yoon had justified his martial law as necessary to counter an "anti-state" opposition. Despite a detention warrant, the presidential security service had blocked earlier efforts, and tensions escalated with Yoon's supporters and critics protesting nearby. Yoon's lawyers had been negotiating his voluntary questioning, but his arrest now shifts focus to the Constitutional Court's deliberations on his impeachment.
On January 3, Investigators from South Korea’s anti-corruption agency had failed to detain impeached Yoon at his residence after a six-hour standoff. Presidential security services blocked their entry, citing safety concerns.
Yoon has been at his residence since December 12, following his martial law declaration and subsequent impeachment. A court issued a detention warrant on Tuesday for charges of rebellion.

Who is Yoon Suk Yeol?

Born in Seoul in 1960, Yoon Suk Yeol studied law at Seoul National University before beginning his career as a prosecutor in 1994. He gained prominence for leading high-profile corruption investigations, including those involving former President Park Geun-hye.
Yoon entered politics in 2021, joining the conservative People Power Party and winning the presidency in 2022.