Suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been detained in connection with his brief imposition of martial law in December. The former prosecutor could face life imprisonment or even the death penalty if convicted.

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested on Wednesday in connection with accusations of insurrection related to his martial law declaration on December 3. Investigators confirmed the detention of Yoon hours after hundreds of officers and investigators arrived at his presidential compound to arrest him. The arrest marked a significant escalation in South Korea's worst political crisis in decades, triggered when Yoon sent soldiers to storm parliament following his martial law declaration.

After his arrest, Yoon, a former prosecutor who led the conservative People Power Party to victory in 2022, said he had agreed to cooperate with the investigation to avoid "bloodshed." He explained, "When I saw them break into the security area using firefighting equipment today, I decided to respond to the CIO's investigation, despite it being an illegal investigation, to prevent unsavory bloodshed." The CIO, or Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, is leading the probe into his actions.

However, after his arrest, Yoon exercised his right to remain silent, as reported by a CIO official. His arrest makes him the first sitting president in South Korea’s history to be taken into custody. If convicted of insurrection, he could face life imprisonment or even the death penalty. Before being taken to the headquarters of the anti-corruption agency, Yoon recorded a video message, stating that "the rule of law has completely collapsed in this country."

Yoon was later seen exiting a vehicle upon arriving at the anti-corruption agency's office in Gwacheon. Following his questioning, he was expected to be transferred to a detention center in Uiwang, near Seoul. Authorities can hold Yoon for up to 48 hours under the current warrant, but they would need to apply for another arrest warrant to extend his detention.

Yoon’s lawyers have challenged the validity of the arrest warrant. He had evaded arrest for weeks by staying within his residence, protected by the Presidential Security Service (PSS). The residence had been fortified with barbed wire and barricades, earning it the label of a "fortress" from the opposition. A previous attempt to arrest Yoon on January 3 failed, and a similar attempt on Wednesday was again thwarted by the president’s guards. Local news footage showed police officers with ladders and wire cutters attempting to access his hillside villa.

Some minor clashes occurred between Yoon's supporters and authorities as they tried to execute the arrest warrant. Around 6,500 of Yoon's supporters had gathered outside his residence, and several ruling party lawmakers formed a human chain to prevent the arrest. Acting President Choi Sang-mok described the situation as a crucial moment for maintaining order and upholding the rule of law in South Korea. Despite the opposition, Yoon's guards, who viewed their job as protecting the impeached president, had previously stopped investigators from arresting him earlier in the month.