South Korean authorities arrested impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday over insurrection accusations related to his Dec 3 martial law declaration, investigators said.
A motorcade was seen leaving the gates of his hillside residence where Mr Yoon has been holed up for weeks behind barbed wire barriers and a small army of personal security.
Earlier, more than 3,000 police officers and anti-corruption investigators had gathered there before dawn, pushing through throngs of Yoon supporters and members of his ruling People Power Party protesting attempts to detain him.
A series of black SUVs, some equipped with sirens, left the presidential compound with police escorts – Reuters
Mr Yoon’s lawyers have argued attempts to detain Mr Yoon are illegal and are designed to publicly humiliate him.
The warrant investigators secured for his arrest is the first ever issued against an incumbent South Korean president.
As local news broadcasters reported that Mr Yoon’s detention may come soon, some minor scuffles broke out between tearful pro-Yoon protesters and police near the residence, according to a Reuters witness at the scene.
Supporters of Yoon Suk Yeol protested near his presidential residence – Bloomberg
Mr Yoon’s declaration of martial law stunned South Koreans and plunged one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies into an unprecedented period of political turmoil. Lawmakers voted to impeach him and remove him from duties on Dec 14.
Separately, the Constitutional Court is deliberating over to uphold that impeachment and permanently remove him from office.
This is a breaking story. More to follow.