Martial law, memes and mayhem: the rise and fall of Yoon Suk-yeol
Once a celebrated anti-corruption crusader, Yoon became South Korea’s first sitting president to be arrested on Wednesday.
Yoon Suk-yeol built his career on prosecuting corrupt politicians. Now, he is the one in detention. On Wednesday, Yoon became the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested, capping off a presidency marred by scandal, controversy and a failed declaration of martial law.
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His justification for finally surrendering after weeks of dodging arrest attempts? To “prevent any unfortunate bloodshed” amid an hours-long stand-off between anti-corruption investigators and his presidential security detail. But the former prosecutor-turned-president also lashed out at the nation’s institutions, claiming “the rule of law has completely collapsed in this country”.
It was a far cry from Yoon’s glory days as South Korea’s top prosecutor, when he brought down politicians, corporate titans and even a former president. Now, he faces the same legal purgatory as Park Geun-hye, the country’s first woman president who he helped impeach and imprison.
Yoon’s journey from a gritty prosecutor to a polarising president accused of authoritarianism is a tale of political ambition, scandal and a country divided. His arrest comes amid a backdrop of a presidency marked by controversy: his wife’s alleged corruption, a botched response to a national tragedy, and a miscalculation so severe that it could end his political career halfway through his five-year term.
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South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol arrested after weeks-long stand-off
South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol arrested after weeks-long stand-off
Rising political star
Few could have predicted Yoon’s meteoric rise – or his spectacular fall. Born in 1960 to academic parents, his early years were unremarkable. He struggled with South Korea’s notoriously gruelling bar exam, passing only on his ninth attempt in 1991. But once he entered the legal profession, he quickly built a reputation as a fearless and “independent-minded” prosecutor, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.