Authorities arrested the president on Wednesday morning and then took him to the CIO’s office. Jun agreed to the interrogation in order to avoid “bloodshed” in his words.
South Korean investigators from the Corruption Investigation Bureau (CIO) began questioning suspended President Jun Sok-Jol on Wednesday in connection with the country’s December declaration of martial law. TASR informs about it according to the reports of the agencies Jonhap and AFP.
If found guilty, the president and other officials face life imprisonment or even the death penalty for charges of sedition, abuse of power and other crimes. At the same time, Jun became the first arrested president in the country’s history, writes AFP.
The suspended head of state evaded arrest for several weeks in his residential complex, which was protected by members of the presidential security service. The opposition called the residence a “fortress” after security guards placed barbed wire and barricades around the compound. Investigators first tried to arrest Jun on Jan. 3, but were thwarted by hundreds of presidential guards and soldiers.
Before his arrest, the president released a pre-recorded video in which he announced that he would undergo questioning to prevent “any unfortunate bloodshed,” even though he considers the investigation illegal, writes AFP.
South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party (DP) said on Wednesday that the president’s arrest would restore order to the country after weeks of political unrest. “The arrest of Jun Sok-Jol is the first step towards restoring constitutional order, democracy and the rule of law. This is a really happy confirmation that public power and justice still exist in South Korea,” said its chairman at the DP party meeting.
President Jun declared martial law on December 3, 2024, triggering a political crisis in the country, although his decision was constitutionally overturned by parliament after only a few hours. He subsequently initiated the process of recalling the head of state (impeachment).
