South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives at the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), in Gwacheon, South Korea, January 15, 2025. KOREA POOL/Pool via REUTERS
SEOUL (Reuters) -Yoon Suk Yeol became the first incumbent South Korean president to be arrested when he finally backed down on Wednesday in a weeks-long standoff with authorities investigating him over alleged insurrection. A tough political survivor who became increasingly isolated halfway through his five-year term, Yoon, 64, has been dogged by personal scandals, an unyielding opposition and rifts within his own party.
His legal peril stands in contrast to his storied career before politics as a top prosecutor, which launched him into the public eye and sparked much of the support that lead to his victory in the 2022 presidential election, his first elected office.
