South Korea’s impeached president detained in first for country
Global News
South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was detained in a major law enforcement operation at the presidential compound Wednesday.
South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was detained in a major law enforcement operation at the presidential compound Wednesday, defiantly insisting the anti-corruption agency didn’t have the authority to investigate his actions but saying he complied to prevent violence.
Yoon, the country’s first sitting president to be apprehended, now faces the prospect of a lengthy prison term over potential rebellion charges.
In a video message recorded shortly before he was escorted to the headquarters of the anti-corruption agency, Yoon lamented the “rule of law has completely collapsed in this country.”
Yoon had been holed up in the Hannam-dong residence in the capital, Seoul, for weeks while vowing to “fight to the end” the efforts to oust him. He has justified his declaration of martial law Dec. 3 as a legitimate act of governance against an “anti-state” opposition employing its legislative majority to thwart his agenda.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials said Yoon was brought into custody about five hours after investigators arrived at the presidential compound and about three hours after they successfully entered the residence, in their second attempt to detain him over his imposition of martial law.
A series of black SUVs, some equipped with sirens, were seen leaving the presidential compound with police escorts. Yoon was later seen stepping out of a vehicle after arriving at the agency’s office in the nearby city of Gwacheon.
Hundreds of Yoon’s conservative supporters rallied near the anti-corruption agency’s office as he underwent questioning, shouting slogans and holding signs that read: “We will fight alongside President Yoon Suk Yeol.”
Also on Wednesday, an unidentified man was in life-threatening condition after an apparent self-immolation near the site, according to the Gyeonggi provincial fire department. Following questioning, Yoon was expected to be sent to a detention center in Uiwang, near Seoul.
Maduro was declared the winner of July's election by both Venezuela's electoral authority and top court, though detailed tallies confirming his victory have never been published.
Last year's global average temperature easily passed 2023's record heat and kept pushing even higher. It surpassed the long-term warming limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
A former Winnipegger who has been living in Los Angeles for the past three years said while he's safe from the disaster, it's hitting dangerously close to home.
Rising cases of common respiratory illnesses in China and elsewhere around the Northern Hemisphere are within the range expected for winter, with no unusual outbreaks reported.
Donald Trump Jr. said his visit to Greenland was not politically motivated. Meanwhile, his father wouldn't rule out using force to take control of the territory.
Trump also said he wants NATO members to spend at least five per cent of their GDP on defence, more than double the current two-per cent target.
A strong earthquake shook a high-altitude region of western China and areas of Nepal on Tuesday, killing at least 95 people in Tibet.
Experts said the elephant that killed Blanca García was likely stressed by the pressure of living and interacting with tourists.
The Freedom Party, led by Herbert Kickl, won Austria’s parliamentary election in September, beating outgoing Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s conservative Austrian People’s Party.
Russia said on Sunday that Ukraine had launched a new attack in the Kursk region, an area of western Russia from which Russian troops have been trying to eject Ukrainian forces.
Over 480 people with a military history were accused of ideologically driven extremist crimes between 2017 and 2023, including the more than 230 arrested in connection with Jan. 6.
The house made famous by Breaking Bad is up for sale, and the owners of the home are hoping the property’s role in the long-running series will help them fetch a pretty penny.
Prince William expressed his shock and sadness Saturday at the news of the death of his former nanny’s stepson in the New Year's truck attack in New Orleans that killed 14 people.
South Korean investigators again asked the country's acting president to order the presidential security service to comply with an arrest warrant for the impeached president.
South Korean investigators left the official residence of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol after a near-six-hour standoff during which he defied their attempt to detain him.
The blowback comes after Ottawa sanctioned eight Chinese officials it accuses of "grave human rights violations" against ethnic and religious minorities.
A Seoul court issued a warrant for Yoon’s detention after he evaded multiple requests to appear for questioning and blocked searches of his office in Seoul.
An armed man killed at least four people and wounded four others on Wednesday in the western Montenegrin city of Cetinje, police and local media said.