South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been arrested, six weeks after his short-lived attempt to impose martial law.

A motorcade of black SUVs was seen leaving the gates of his hillside residence where he had been holed up for weeks behind barbed wire and a small army of personal security.

Mr Yoon said the “rule of law has completely collapsed” in a video message recorded before he was escorted to the headquarters of an anti-corruption agency.

He said he was complying with the detention warrant to prevent clashes between police and the presidential security service.

However his compliance has not extended as far as actually cooperating with officers, according to the Corruption Investigation Office, which said he was refusing to talk.

It added that he would be held at the Seoul Detention Centre for now.

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Yoon Suk Yeol arrives at the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials in Gwacheon. Pic: AP

Mr Yoon’s lawyers had tried to persuade investigators not to execute the arrest warrant, saying the president would voluntarily appear for questioning, but the agency declined.

Police had been trying to access the president’s official office to detain him but had become engaged in a standoff with Mr Yoon’s security service.

Hours later hundreds of officers made it onto the grounds of the property by using ladders to climb over barriers.

Police officers cut through a wire fence set up at the entrance to Yoon Suk Yeol's official residence. Pic: Reuters
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Police officers cut through a wire fence set up at the entrance to Yoon Suk Yeol’s official residence. Pic: Reuters

Police officers gather near the official residence of the impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, as authorities are seeking to execute an arrest warrant, in Seoul, South Korea, January 15, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu
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Police officers and members of the corruption investigation office outside the president’s residence. Pic: Reuters

Earlier police said they had deployed 3,200 officers to execute the arrest warrant.

One person who collapsed amid the standoff has been transported away from the scene by the fire department, local media said.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials and police are jointly investigating whether Mr Yoon’s martial law declaration on 3 December amounted to an attempted rebellion.

Opposition hopes arrest is key step towards salvaging South Korea’s democratic reputation

It’s been a rather unedifying couple of months for President Yoon.

He has now finally gone, but not exactly gracefully. The South Korean leader made sure he recorded a barbed video message before he left, declaring the arrest was “unlawful” and insisting he was only complying to avoid possible bloodshed.

The polls show the majority of South Koreans disapprove of his martial law gamble and support his impeachment.

But intriguingly, the political standoff does appear to have revved up his supporters.

His People Power Party (PPP) has seen a bit of a revival in recent weeks. Support now stands at 40.8% according to the latest Realmeter poll. The opposition Democratic Party is at 42.2%.

Closing the popularity gap when your back is against the wall is an unexpected boon for Mr Yoon. But it’s unlikely to save him.

Mr Yoon’s big gamble has hurt South Korea.

The image of police officers having to use ladders to climb over rows of buses to try to get to a president who’s taken weeks to cooperate is not a good look internationally.

It’s hurt the nation’s democratic reputation – but that can be salvaged and the opposition hopes this arrest is a key step in that.

Earlier in the day South Korean investigators arrested the acting chief of the presidential security service, Kim Sung-hoon, for blocking their initial attempt to arrest Mr Yoon earlier this month.

Mr Yoon’s presidential security service prevented dozens of investigators from arresting him after a standoff lasted nearly six hours on 3 January.

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How six hours of martial law unfolded in South Korea

What happened on 3 December?

Mr Yoon declared martial law and deployed troops around the National Assembly at the beginning of last month.

It lasted only hours before politicians managed to get through the blockade and voted to lift the measure.

His presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on 14 December, accusing him of rebellion.

Mr Yoon has argued his declaration of martial law was a legitimate act of governance, calling it a warning to the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which he has described as “despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces”.

He claimed the party used its legislative majority to impeach top officials and undermine the government’s budget.

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks at the presidential office in Seoul. Pic: AP
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Yoon Suk Yeol. Pic: AP

Over the past two weeks, thousands of anti- and pro-Yoon protesters have gathered daily in competing rallies near his office in Seoul, in anticipation of his detention.