Yoon Suk-yeol built his career on prosecuting corrupt politicians. Now, he is the one in detention. On Wednesday, Yoon became the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested, capping off a presidency marred by scandal, controversy and a failed declaration of martial law.
His justification for finally surrendering after weeks of dodging arrest attempts? To “prevent any unfortunate bloodshed” amid an hours-long stand-off between anti-corruption investigators and his presidential security detail. But the former prosecutor-turned-president also lashed out at the nation’s institutions, claiming “the rule of law has completely collapsed in this country”.
It was a far cry from Yoon’s glory days as South Korea’s top prosecutor, when he brought down politicians, corporate titans and even a former president. Now, he faces the same legal purgatory as Park Geun-hye, the country’s first woman president whom he helped impeach and imprison.
Yoon’s journey from a gritty prosecutor to a polarising president accused of authoritarianism is a tale of political ambition, scandal and a country divided.
His arrest comes amid a backdrop of a presidency marked by controversy: his wife’s alleged corruption, a botched response to a national tragedy, and a miscalculation so severe that it could end his political career halfway through his five-year term.
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South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol arrested after weeks-long stand-off
South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol arrested after weeks-long stand-off