President Yoon Suk-yeol Becomes First Sitting President in South Korea to be Arrested

On January 19, 2025, President Yoon Suk-yeol was officially arrested, marking a historic moment as he is the first sitting president in South Korea's constitutional history to face such a fate. The arrest followed a pre-arrest interrogation held by Chief Judge Cha Eun-kyung at the Seoul Western District Court, where concerns about potential evidence tampering were raised, leading to the issuance of an arrest warrant.

The High-ranking Officials Crime Investigation Office (공수처) had filed for the arrest warrant on January 17, detailing accusations against President Yoon, including charges of insurrection and abuse of power in a document exceeding 150 pages. The 공수처 had previously sought the arrest warrant from the Seoul Western District Court instead of the Seoul Central District Court, which sparked controversy over 'judge shopping.'

Judge Cha, who is not typically assigned to warrant duties at the Seoul Western District Court, presided over the hearing as a duty judge. A graduate of Ewha Womans University with a degree in economics, she passed the 40th Judicial Examination in 1998 and has served as a judge in various courts since 2006.

Following the issuance of the arrest warrant, President Yoon will undergo the formal admission process at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province. He will be required to provide personal information such as his name, resident registration number, and address, as well as undergo a brief physical examination. He will also wear a prison uniform and have his mugshot taken as part of the intake procedure.