In a historic turn of events, Yoon Suk Yeol, the impeached President of South Korea, has chosen not to return for further questioning by investigators following the dramatic episode of his arrest over a controversial declaration of martial law. Just a day prior, he became the nation’s first sitting president to be taken into custody, a scenario that has left the country reeling.
As the Constitutional Court convened for its second hearing aimed at determining the validity of Mr. Yoon’s impeachment, tensions were palpable. This follows the early morning raid that thrust him into the spotlight—a twist that even the most seasoned political analysts might find astonishing.
Once a celebrated prosecutor, Yoon now faces serious charges of insurrection. After hours of intense interrogation, he opted to exercise his right to remain silent, perhaps pondering just how he ended up here. Reports have emerged that investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) were eager to continue questioning him today, but his legal team informed them he would not be attending, citing health-related issues as the reason. “President Yoon isn’t feeling well. He expressed his position quite thoroughly yesterday, so there’s really nothing left to discuss,” shared his lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, with Yonhap.
The scenes from yesterday’s arrest were nothing short of cinematic—a battalion of police and investigators stormed his residence, breaching barriers and scaling ladders just to reach him. It sounds like something out of a spy thriller, doesn’t it? Yet, Mr. Yoon himself told the press he complied with officers to avoid “bloodshed,” even as he contested the legality of the investigation. In a bit of a cat-and-mouse game, authorities are now attempting to secure a new warrant to extend his detention beyond the initial 48 hours. If they succeed, it would grant them a 20-day window to prepare an indictment against him. Talk about adding fuel to the fire!
A hearing to assess the legality of his arrest is scheduled later today at Seoul court, following a request from Yoon’s attorneys. It seems his legal team is employing every ploy in the book to prolong this fraught situation. “It appears they are fully committed to dragging the process out as long as possible,” remarked Lee Jong-soo, a law professor at Yonsei University, capturing the essence of political strategy at play.
Mr. Yoon shocked the nation on December 3 when he announced a martial law declaration, allegedly as a safeguard against “the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces” and to eliminate perceived anti-state elements. In a twist that felt almost too bizarre to be real, he sent troops to parliament, only for lawmakers to defiantly reject the move. Just six hours later, he reversed the martial law—anyone else getting whiplash from all this?
Following his suspension, Yoon dodged arrest for weeks, sheltered in his residential compound by loyal members of the Presidential Security Service. However, once he was whisked away to the CIO offices, the interrogation commenced, though he chose silence, even as investigators referred to him as “Mr. President.”
As the political drama unfolded, a small army of Yoon’s supporters gathered outside the CIO building waving South Korean and American flags. Their chants rang through the air—“Blow up the CIO!” and “We will protect our President!”—disturbing echoes of passionately divided public opinion. One banner stood out in the crowd, reading: “We cannot trust human justices. Let’s introduce AI justices,” blending humor with an almost dystopian hope for the future.
Simultaneously, the Constitutional Court deliberates over whether to uphold Mr. Yoon’s impeachment. If that verdict swings towards the affirmative, he would not only lose the presidency, but South Korea would also be thrust into fresh elections within a tight 60-day window. Yoon did not attend today’s hearing in person; his lawyers instead sought a postponement, a request the court promptly denied. With proceedings already anticipated to stretch over several months, this saga is far from over.
Yet, the National Assembly’s legal team is optimistic, asserting that Yoon’s arrest may provide the necessary impetus to resolve this constitutional crisis swiftly and effectively, as outlined by the law. As the nation holds its breath, one can’t help but wonder: How did it all come to this, and what will be the final chapter in this political thriller?
Report By Axadle
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
