South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol detained

Hundreds of law enforcement officials stormed the residential compound of South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol early on Wednesday, overcoming fierce resistance from his lawyers and supporters.

The operation followed a hours-long stand-off at the compound’s gate, with investigators and police forced to scale makeshift barricades formed from vehicles that supporters and the president’s personal security had strategically positioned to block access.

Television footage showed teams of police officers and investigators using ladders to climb over the barriers, before advancing up the driveway towards the compound’s entrance.

Initially manned by agents of Yoon’s Presidential Security Service (PSS), the makeshift barricades were abandoned by his operatives following a stern warning from acting South Korean President Choi Sang-mok.

“As acting president, I will seriously hold those responsible accountable if an unfortunate situation happens,” Choi said in an emergency announcement.

In a strategic move to dismantle the resistance to Yoon’s arrest, investigators said they planned to first arrest senior PSS officials, aiming to disrupt coordination among the president’s agents and minimise the likelihood of further conflict.