Arrested South Korea President May face Death Punishment
Video grab of police cavalcade taking impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol
Submitting to Questioning to Avoid Bloodshed: Yoon Suk Yeol
By Raisina Correspondent
New Delhi, January 15: South Korea’s disgraced President Yoon Suk Yeol may face death punishment if found guilty for insurrection. The police on Wednesday arrested Yoon after his guards for days prevented his custody by the law enforcement agencies.
Yonhap reported on Wednesday that Yoon’s arrest also marks a first in the South Korean history for an incumbent President to be arrested. Yoon had imposed martial law. Parliament impeached him subsequently for imposing the martial law in the country.
Yonhap, a Seoul-based news agency, reported that Yoon left residence accompanied by an escort in a car. He becomes the first head of the state to be arrested by the police. Yoon was being probed for corruption charges before he had imposed the martial law in the country.
Before his arrest, the South Korean President released a video message. In the video, Yoon said that he is submitting for questioning to avert the “bloodshed”. The Presidential guards had been blocking his arrest for the pat few days per local media reports.
Earlier, the CNN reported that Yoon, who had been suspended through impeachgment, had been trying to negotiate a voluntarily appearance at the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO). “This is the second Yoon arrest attempt over his martial law declaration on December 3. More police are arriving now,” said the CNN in its report.
“I have decided to submit to questioning to avert bloodshed even though I believe the probe is illegal. I decided to respond to the CIO,” Yoon said in a pre-recorded video message. Yoon reiterated that he did not accept the legality of the investigation.
The local reports said that the CIO had issued a detention warrant. “On January 3, the Presidential Security Service had blocked investigators from entering Yoon’s residence. A court later extended the arrest warrant. Finally, Yoon was arrested with a deployment of almost 3,000 police personnel,” said Anadolu English in a report.
AFP in a report stated that “Yoon could face the death penalty or life in jail if he is found guilty of insurrection”. Yoon had led the conservative People Power Party (PPP) to election victory in 2022.
The news agency stated that the Presidential security guards had installed barbed wire and barricades. The people have shielded parliament moments after Yoon had declared imposition of the martial law, which allowed his impeachment by the lawmakers.
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