President Yoon Suk-yeol said on January 15 that he decided to appear before the anti-corruption agency to avoid the risk of bloodshed. He also declared that the agency's investigation was "illegal", Yonhap reported.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol made the statement as the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) and police executed an arrest warrant for the president following the declaration of martial law. The statement was made before Yoon Suk-yeol was taken to the CIO headquarters in Gwacheon, south of Seoul.
"In order to prevent a violent and unfortunate incident, I decided to appear before the CIO even though I believe the investigation is illegal," Yoon Suk Yoel said in a video recorded at his residence in Yongsan, central Seoul.
Investigators have arrested President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of leading a rebellion, marking the first time a sitting president has been arrested.
According to CIO, the arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol was issued at 10:33 a.m. (local time) on January 15. A motorcade carrying President Yoon Suk Yeol left the presidential residence in central Seoul and headed to the CIO office in Gwacheon, south of Seoul. President Yoon Suk Yeol was seen getting out of the car and entering the office for questioning.
After the questioning, President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to be detained at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, near the CIO office.
The arrest of President Yoon Suk Yeol came after hours of negotiations between investigators and President Yoon Suk Yeol's side on how to arrest and take him in for questioning, Yonhap reported. "At this point, we are not considering him voluntarily turning himself in and our goal is to execute the arrest warrant," a CIO official told reporters.
"Unlike the first time, no Presidential Security Service (PSS) personnel actively resisted the execution of the arrest warrant. In fact, there was no physical confrontation today," the official added.
Investigators used ladders to enter the presidential residence in central Seoul after the PSS created a barricade with vehicles to block the entrance, Yonhap added. Investigators were also blocked at the entrance by a group of lawmakers from the ruling People's Power Party and President Yoon Suk Yeol's lawyer.
Investigators failed to arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol in early January after hours of confrontation with his security team at the presidential residence.
The Seoul Western District Court issued a warrant to search the presidential residence and arrest President Yoon Suk-yeol after he refused three summonses for questioning from investigators. The warrant expired last week and was then extended to January 21.
