Investigators Cut Through Barbed Wire, Scale Walls To Arrest South Korea’s Impeached President

South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has made history as the first sitting leader to be arrested in the country, following an intense standoff between investigators and his presidential security team. According to a BBC report, the dramatic arrest marked the end of weeks of tension.

The Backstory

Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment stemmed from his controversial attempt to impose martial law, which threw the nation into political chaos. Parliament voted to impeach him, citing insurrection charges. However, he remains president until a constitutional court rules on the validity of his impeachment.

Dramatic Arrest Scene

In freezing temperatures, investigators armed with ladders and wire cutters executed a pre-dawn operation to bypass the presidential security barricades. The Presidential Security Service (PSS) had previously set up barricades using buses and barbed wire to block his arrest.

A previous attempt to detain Yoon on January 3 failed due to these obstructions. This time, however, a team of around 1,000 officers scaled fences, hiked nearby trails, and used tools to cut through wire defenses. After hours of coordinated efforts, Yoon was finally apprehended.

President’s Final Message Before Arrest

In a brief three-minute video recorded before his arrest, the 64-year-old leader expressed his willingness to comply with the investigation, despite opposing it. He condemned what he described as a breach of his home’s security perimeter, stating: