Local media reported that South Korean authorities arrested ousted President Yeon Suk-yul

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol He was reportedly arrested Wednesday by the country’s Corruption Investigation Bureau to senior officials, a first for a sitting South Korean leader.

This was the second attempt to arrest the ousted president, after the failed attempt on January 3 when agents from South Korea’s presidential security service prevented investigators from entering Yoon’s residence.

Yonhap News Agency said about 3,000 police officers participated in the second attempt to secure access to the Yon complex.

South Korean media too Yoon reported in a pre-recorded video He said “the law of the land has collapsed” and described the CIO’s investigation as “illegal”. Yoon said he would appear before the IT director “to prevent unpleasant bloodshed,” according to a Google translation of the reports in Korean.

South Korean stocks reacted weakly to the news, with blue chips leading Cosby Kosdaq rose 0.21% and small-cap Kosdaq fell 0.44%.

The won fell slightly against the US dollar, last trading at 1,459.75. The yield on South Korea’s benchmark 10-year bonds also rose.

The CIO had initially requested the arrest warrant after Yoon failed to show up for questioning, which is what happened Granted on December 31 by the Seoul District Court. The memorandum was then extended after its term initially expired on January 6.

Yoon faces charges of rebellion after failing to declare martial law on December 3, a charge that is not subject to presidential immunity and carries a maximum penalty of death.

Yoon made a surprise late-night broadcast and declared martial law last month, citing the need to protect the country from “North Korean communist forces” and “anti-state forces.” This was the first time martial law had been declared in South Korea in more than 40 years.

Lawmakers then managed to bypass police barriers and voted against the declaration in the country’s parliament, before filing impeachment motions against Yoon a few days later. Yoon was impeached on December 14 and suspended from his position.

The Constitutional Court of South Korea has The impeachment trial opened on January 14 against Yoon, but it was postponed to January 16 after Yoon did not show up.