South Korean investigators arrest impeached president

South Korean authorities arrested impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over insurrection allegations, with the embattled leader saying he agreed to comply with investigations to avoid "bloodshed",ending weeks of tense political standoff.

Since politicians voted to stand him down after his short-lived declaration of martial law on 3 December, Mr Yoon has beenholed up at his hillside residence, guarded by a small army of personal security that blocked a previous arrest attempt.

His arrest, the first ever for an incumbent president, is the latest head-spinning development for one of Asia's most vibrant democracies even though the country has a history of prosecuting and imprisoning former leaders.

A defiant Mr Yoon said he submitted himself for questioning to avoid any violence after more than 3,000 police officers marched on his residence to arrest him from the early hours.

Mr Yoon was seen arriving in his motorcade at the offices of the anti-corruption agency heading the probe.

Authorities now have 48 hours to question Mr Yoon, after which they must seek a warrant to detain him for up to 20 days or release him.

Police said they had deployed 3,200 officers to Mr Yoon's residence to execute the arrest, where hundreds of pro-Yoon protesters and members of his People Power Party had also gathered before dawn in sub-zero temperatures.

A police spokesperson denied an earlier report by Yonhap News Agency that it had arrested the acting head of Mr Yoon's presidential security service, which blocked a previous attempt to arrest the conservative leader on 3 January

The impeached leader's lawyers have argued attempts to detain Mr Yoon are illegal and are designed to publicly humiliate him.

As local news broadcasters reported that Mr Yoon's detention may come soon, some minor scuffles broke out between tearful pro-Yoon protesters and police near the residence, according to Reuters witnesses at the scene.

Mr Yoon's declaration of martial law stunned South Koreans and plunged one of Asia's most vibrant democracies into an unprecedented period of political turmoil.

Politicians voted to impeach him and remove him from duties on 14 December.

Separately, the Constitutional Court is deliberating over whether to uphold that impeachment and permanently remove him from office.

Yoon supporters

The latest arrest attempt that began before dawn gripped the nation with hundreds of thousands glued to live feeds showing bus loads of police arriving near the presidential residence, pushing past the president's supporters and then walking towards the gates of the compound carrying ladders and wire cutters.

As local news broadcasters reported that Mr Yoon's detention was imminent, some minor scuffles broke out between pro-Yoon protesters and police near the residence, according to a Reuterswitness at the scene.

Throngs of those protesters gathered before dawn in sub-zero temperatures, some wrapped in foil blankets and others waving flags bearing "Stop the Steal" slogans referring to Mr Yoon's unsubstantiated claims of election fraud - one of the reasons he gave to justify his short-lived martial law declaration.

Some of Mr Yoon's supporters have drawn parallels with hisplight and that of the US President-elect Donald Trump, who also claimed voter fraud contributed to his election defeat in 2020but recovered to make a stunning political comeback.

"It is very sad to see our country falling apart," said Kim Woo-sub, a 70-year-old retiree protesting Mr Yoon's arrest outside his residence.

"I still have high expectations for Mr Trump to support our president. Election fraud is something they have in common butalso the US needs South Korea to fight China," he said.

Despite polls showing a majority of South Koreans disapprove of Mr Yoon's martial law declaration and support his impeachment, the political standoff has given oxygen to his supporters and his People Power Party (PPP) has seen a revival in recent weeks.

Support for the PPP stood at 40.8% in the latest Real meter poll, while the main opposition DemocraticParty's support stood at 42.2%, within a margin of error and down from a gap of 10.8% from last week, the poll said.