LEILA FADEL, HOST:
South Korean police today arrested the country's impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, after a standoff with his security detail.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
This is the first time that police there have detained a sitting president. Every word there matters somewhere. Last month, Yoon sparked a crisis when he briefly declared martial law.
FADEL: NPR's Anthony Kuhn was outside the president's residence this morning, and he joins me now from Seoul. Hi, Anthony.
ANTHONY KUHN, BYLINE: Hey, Leila.
FADEL: So what's happening at the president's home?
KUHN: Well, it's been freezing cold the whole time. I can tell you that. Protesters knew this arrest was coming, so many of them had been there before dawn. They were at Yoon's residence, which is on a hillside next to a major street. And there were more than 3,000 police and anti-corruption investigators there to execute an arrest warrant, which is a lot more than their first try. There were also ruling party lawmakers there trying to block police. It got chaotic. There were some tussles. But luckily, there was no serious violence.
FADEL: That's good to hear. You were talking to protesters out there. What'd they say?
KUHN: Well, today and throughout this crisis, South Korea's vibrant political protest culture has been on full display - people across the political spectrum taking to the streets to defend democracy. Just after Yoon's arrest was announced, the anti-Yoon campaign erupted in cheering. Police were keeping the pro- and anti-Yoon camps apart. I spoke to a 24-year-old student named Min So-won who was both elated and relieved that there was no fighting. Let's hear her now.
MIN SO-WON: (Speaking Korean).
KUHN: "I was really worried about such a situation," she said. "I worried about what would happen if there was gunfire, but I'm so relieved that there was, thankfully, no such situation and that Yoon Suk Yeol is finally detained, although it took a long time." Now, Yoon supporters, meanwhile, are a minority, but some recent polls show support for his party has increased and support for his impeachment has decreased, which suggests that Yoon is rallying his base.
FADEL: You know, we mentioned how unprecedented this is, and police did attempt to arrest Yoon before, but his security detail blocked them. What was different this time?
KUHN: Well, since the last attempt, Yoon's security detail fortified the residence with buses and barbed wire. Police had to scale those buses with ladders to get in. And the presidential security detail had said they'd fight to the finish. But before that, before the arrest, their leaders were charged with obstructing official duties. So in the end, they did not get in the way. There was a standoff as Yoon's lawyers negotiated with authorities, then he was taken away for questioning. Yoon himself is a prosecutor. He remained silent under questioning. Authorities now have 48 hours to seek a formal arrest warrant for him or release him.
FADEL: Wow, that's quite dramatic. What's the political significance of this arrest?
KUHN: The significance is being hotly contested. Yoon himself said that the rule of law is now breaking down in South Korea. He says the arrest procedure was invalid, but he voluntarily went in for questioning in order to prevent bloodshed. By contrast, the opposition's parliamentary floor leader said Yoon's arrest is the first step towards restoring the rule of law. And besides the criminal charges of insurrection, there's also another process going on, which is his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court. They're going to reconvene for another hearing tomorrow, and if the court rules against him, Yoon will formally be removed from office.
FADEL: NPR's Anthony Kuhn in Seoul. Thank you so much, Anthony.
KUHN: You're welcome, Leila.
(SOUNDBITE OF PHLOCALYST AND MR. KAFER'S "CERVEJA") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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