The president did not resist this time, but he exercised his right to remain silent when questioned. In a video message, he said that he would appear before the Constitutional Court in the coming days. South Korean society is now split in two, with the ruling conservatives and opposition democrats almost evenly split.

Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) – South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was taken into custody at his home and later taken to Gwacheon, south of Seoul, for questioning by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which is investigating him.

Yoon is accused of insurrection and abuse of power for declaring martial law on 3 December. In mid-December, South Korea’s National Assembly approved a motion to impeach him, which would see the country’s Constitutional Court decide in the coming weeks whether to remove him from office or not.

After a first attempt to detain the president failed, agents met limited resistance from presidential guards, the CIO said in a statement, noting that there were “practically no physical clashes.”

Yoon was subsequently questioned for two and a half hours but exercised his right to remain silent. Investigators can hold him for up to 48 hours, but have to seek a warrant if they want to formally arrest him.

Yoon and members of his party, the conservative-leaning People Power Party (PPP), had previously defended the imposition of martial law to counter what they deemed abuse by the National Assembly, where the opposition has the majority since April 2024, resulting in an intractable deadlock.

“Although it is an illegal investigation, I decided to agree to appear at the CIO in order to prevent ugly bloodshed,” Yoon said in a video message that was released after his arrest.

In the video, he claims that the CIO does not have the authority to deal with insurrection. He also says that he intends to appear before the Constitutional Court for the proceedings that will determine his political future.

Yoon's detention once again sparked protests, this time outside the CIO compound, protected by about 3,000 police officers.

Thousands of protesters, divided between the president’s supporters and opponents, gathered in the streets despite the cold temperatures.

Yoon's supporters called the CIO "communist" and accused the government of politically persecuting the president.

Many wore hats with the words "Make America Great Again", waved US flags and borrowed slogans (such as "stop the steal") used by Donald Trump supporters. The latter accused the US Democratic Party of stealing the 2020 election, which Biden won, and fabricating evidence against the Republican president.

Yoon's supporters, who are staunchly pro-US, believe that the opposition (which is led by the Democratic Party of Korea, DPK) had it in for the president. All PPP members, including the acting president, today repeatedly reiterated that the CIO's actions are "illegal".

While most South Koreans oppose martial law, the latest developments have simply reinforced the political stalemate. According to a Realmeter poll published on Monday, support for the PPP stands at 40.8 per cent, compared to 42.2 per cent for the DPK. But just a week earlier, the latter had a 10-point plus lead over the PPP.

Reflecting the growing polarisation of South Korean society, the DPK said that Yoon Suk-yeol's detention is the first step towards upholding the rule of law.

In Parliament, the majority is seeking the approval of a special counsel bill to investigate the treason charges against Yoon.

“Although it took a long time, I’m relieved to confirm that public power and justice are still alive in Korea," said today DPK MP Park Chan-dae.

In his view, Yoon Suk-yeol violated the Constitution by proclaiming martial law, and by resisting the first arrest he obstructed justice.

The party's leader, Lee Jae-myung, also called for a swift restoration of constitutional order to “prioritize the people's livelihoods and the economy.”

• south korea
• political crisis
• president yoon suk-yeol
• impeachment
• arrest
• martial law
• obstruction of justice