President Yoon said he regards the investigation as illegal, and that he allowed himself to be arrested to avoid a violent incident.
South Korean investigators on Wednesday arrested President Yoon Suk Yeol—who is currently suspended from office—over his short-lived martial law declaration last month.
Local media reported that a convoy of vehicles was seen departing the presidential residence, which is believed to be transporting Yoon to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) headquarters for questioning.
Authorities said that about 3,000 police officers were deployed to support the execution of the warrant and to secure Yoon’s compound, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The CIO said the process went smoothly and “no physical clashes” occurred when investigators executed the warrant to detain Yoon, unlike the previous attempt when Yoon’s security team barricaded the presidential residence to prevent investigators and police officers from entering.
“Unlike during the first attempt, there were no personnel or Presidential Security Service staff actively resisting the execution,” a CIO official told Yonhap.
The arrest was made after the CIO secured a second arrest warrant for Yoon last week. The CIO now has up to 48 hours to hold Yoon, who is facing charges of leading an insurrection.
In a statement posted on Facebook following his detention, Yoon defended his martial law declaration and reiterated that it was intended to protect the country’s “liberal democracy and constitutional order.”
“Martial law is not a crime. Martial law is an exercise of presidential authority to overcome a national crisis,” Yoon stated in a lengthy post accompanied by a photo of his handwritten letter addressed to the public.
In a pre-recorded video message on Wednesday, Yoon spoke about why he had opted to appear before the CIO.
“To prevent an unfortunate and violent incident, I decided to appear before the CIO even though I believe the investigation is illegal,” he was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency.
Yoon, who was previously South Korea’s chief prosecutor, has been suspended from official duties since the opposition-led National Assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14.
