South Korea arrests president who declared martial law

Police in Seoul on Wednesday apprehended President Yoon Suk Yeol at his residence for questioning over insurrection charges. Yoon refused for weeks to come and face questioning after he briefly declared martial law in December and lawmakers voted to impeach him. The conservative leader reportedly is the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested. Authorities earlier this month attempted to detain him but gave up after a six-hour standoff with his security detail.

What did he say about his arrest? Yoon released a video message Wednesday morning as at least 1,000 law enforcement personnel converged on the presidential home. In the video, the 64-year-old leader said he would cooperate with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. But he repeated his previous assertion that the warrant for his arrest was not valid.

What happens now? The warrant allows officials to hold Yoon for up to 48 hours. They would need a new warrant to detain him for up to 20 days before he is brought to trial. The anti-corruption agency, police, and military are investigating to determine if Yoon’s martial law declaration amounted to attempted rebellion. Under South Korean law, anyone found guilty of leading a rebellion could face a lengthy prison sentence or the death penalty.

Dig deeper: Read Joyce Wu’s report in World Tour about the political turmoil in South Korea.