Yoon Suk Yeol's presidency faces a historic crisis after his arrest, marking him as the first South Korean president to be detained in office. Accused of insurrection for a failed martial law attempt, his presidency is suspended amidst ongoing political turmoil, including attempts from far-right supporters to disrupt judicial proceedings. As former President Park Geunhye faced impeachment during her tenure, Yoon's fellow party members show reluctance to support similar actions against him. This precarious situation compounds existing economic issues and security uncertainties, especially in light of Donald Trump's political return.
In a piquant detail, the man who led his country's first impeachment of a president, Park Geunhye, has also been impeached himself. His powers are currently suspended.
While democratic safeguards have mostly worked, the reluctance of Mr Yoon's People's Power party colleagues to back impeachment, and the fact that security agents initially blocked his arrest as he holed up in the presidential compound, are also concerning.
The fallout is likely to convulse South Korea's politics for months, and deepen the economic travails and security uncertainties it faces, especially given Donald Trump's return to the White House.
Accused of insurrection over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, the former prosecutor has swapped his suits for the standard khaki uniform of a detainee.
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