Following an hours-long confrontation with his followers and security personnel, impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was taken into custody at his home by South Korean anti-corruption investigators.
After a brief effort to implement martial law in December, Yoon was imprisoned for weeks while being investigated on insurrection-related accusations.
The Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), whose summonses he had previously disregarded, is now questioning him.
Earlier this month, investigators made an unsuccessful attempt to apprehend him.
Due to Yoon’s absence, his impeachment trial, which will determine whether he is ousted from office, began yesterday but finished in four minutes.
Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae says Yoon’s arrest confirms that “justice in South Korea is alive”.
This arrest “is the first step toward restoring constitutional order, democracy and the rule of law,” he said during a party meeting.
Since Yoon’s botched martial law attempt, opposition lawmakers labelled Yoon and his allies “insurrectionists” and repeatedly called for their impeachment and arrest.
They have already successfully impeached Yoon and his top officials, including acting president Han Duck-soo.
