Seoul: Investigators detained impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol at his residence on Wednesday in their second attempt to take him into custody for questioning over his short-lived imposition of martial law. Yoon, the first sitting president to be arrested, underwent questioning for 2 1/2 hours at the headquarters of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul. He was taken there in a convoy that left the presidential residence compound shortly after 10:33 a.m., the time the CIO executed its warrant to detain him.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon is currently refusing to testify, as stated by a CIO official. The afternoon session of questioning is scheduled to begin at 2:40 p.m. The morning session took place inside an interrogation room and was led by Lee Jae-seung, deputy chief of the CIO, with Yoon's legal representatives present. The questioning was not recorded on video due to Yoon's objections.
Yoon was seen only once as he exited a car and entered the CIO office. Investigators have 48 hours from the time of his detention to seek a warrant for his formal arrest. Suspended from duty following his impeachment by the National Assembly on December 14, Yoon faces charges of insurrection and abuse of power. He is accused of deploying troops to the National Assembly after declaring martial law on December 3 to prevent lawmakers from voting down the decree.
Following questioning, Yoon is expected to be held at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, near the CIO's office. He has defended his martial law declaration as an "act of governance" intended to warn the main opposition Democratic Party over what he described as its abuse of legislative power. In a recorded video message released after his arrest, Yoon remained defiant, stating, "Although it is an illegal investigation, I decided to agree to appear at the CIO in order to prevent ugly bloodshed."
The arrest came after prolonged discussions between investigators and Yoon's side at his residence regarding his detention and transportation for questioning. According to a CIO official, "At this point, we are not considering his voluntary appearance and our aim is to execute the warrant." The official noted that unlike the first attempt, there were no personnel or Presidential Security Service (PSS) staff actively resisting the execution, resulting in no physical clashes.
During the operation, investigators used ladders to enter the presidential residence compound after being blocked by the PSS, which had set up a barricade using vehicles near the entrance. They were also obstructed by lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party and Yoon's lawyers at the entrance. Some investigators appeared to attempt to secure access to the compound through a nearby hiking trail.
Yun Gap-geun, one of Yoon's lawyers, criticized the investigators' actions, calling them "illegal" and stating, "This is not a just enforcement of the law." Police deployed about 3,000 personnel to secure access to the compound, and physical clashes occurred between investigators and Yoon's supporters. Fire authorities were on the scene to treat a middle-aged woman on the ground.
Thousands of protesters, both supporting and opposing Yoon's arrest, have rallied outside the compound for weeks, with some camping out overnight in subzero temperatures. When news of Yoon's detainment was announced, his supporters protested vehemently, hurling insults at anti-Yoon ralliers and the "commie CIO." Some supporters moved their protest to the CIO office, and by 11:30 a.m., people were gathering on a sidewalk across from its entrance.
Investigators' first attempt to detain Yoon earlier this month failed after an hours-long standoff with his security staff at the residence. The Seoul Western District Court had issued warrants to search the presidential residence and detain Yoon after he ignored three summonses from investigators to appear for questioning. The warrants, which were granted extensions last week after they expired, remain valid until January 21.