South Korean authorities have arrested impeached President Yun Suk-jeol on charges of sedition, and he said he agreed to cooperate with the investigation to avoid "bloodshed," ending weeks of political conflict.
Since parliament voted to impeach Jun last month over his stunning but short-lived declaration of a state of emergency on December 3, Jun has been hiding in his residence guarded by a small army of personal security who had blocked a previous arrest attempt.
Jun said he surrendered for questioning to avoid any violence after more than 3.000 police officers marched on his residence to arrest him in the early hours of Wednesday.
"When I saw them breaking in today using firefighting equipment, I decided to respond to the investigation, despite it being illegal, to prevent an unpleasant bloodbath," Jun said.
He was seen arriving in a motorcade at the offices of the anti-corruption agency leading the investigation on Wednesday morning.
Authorities now have 48 hours to question Jun, after which they must seek a warrant to detain him for up to 20 days or release him.
His lawyers claim that the attempts to detain Jun are illegal and designed to publicly humiliate him.
After local media reported that Jun's arrest could be imminent, minor clashes broke out near the residence between tearful protesters supporting him and police, Reuters reports.
Jun's declaration of a state of emergency stunned South Koreans, rocked Asia's fourth-largest economy and led to an unprecedented period of political turmoil. Lawmakers voted to impeach him on December 14, and he has since been suspended from office.
Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court is considering whether to uphold the impeachment and permanently remove him or restore his presidential powers.
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