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January 15, 2025

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Arrested After Armed Standoff over Martial Law Decree
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Yoon Suk Yeol has become South Korea's first sitting president to be
arrested, after he was taken into custody for questioning in multiple
criminal investigations related to his short-lived martial law
declaration in early December. South Korean authorities scaled walls and
cut through barbed wire to enter Yoon's residence in the capital Seoul,
bringing an end to a dramatic weekslong standoff.

Yoon has also been impeached by South Korean lawmakers and suspended,
but will remain in office until the Constitutional Court ratifies the
impeachment. Protesters in Seoul braved the cold early Wednesday ahead
of Yoon's arrest.

Cho Sun-ah: "I believe the arrest should take place as soon as possible.
In fact, the side of President Yoon Suk Yeol might argue that this
concerns national dignity and that the status of the president should
not be treated in this way. But regardless of all that, I think it's
wrong for the leader of a rebellion to not face any legal consequences
and, even though an arrest warrant has been issued, continue to resist
that. The law should be equally applied to all people, and no matter how
high the president's position, I firmly believe impunity is absolutely
wrong."



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