Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol posted a photo of his handwritten letter on social media, hours after his arrest.
In a post on his personal Facebook page, along with a picture of a handwritten letter, Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol emphasized: "Martial law is not an act of violating the law. Martial law is a measure used by the president to respond to a national crisis."
According to Yonhap news agency (South Korea), in a handwritten letter, Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol said that the imposition of martial law on the evening of December 3, 2024 was an administrative act.
Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in a surprising speech on television on the evening of December 3, 2024, accusing the opposition of "anti-state activities and plotting rebellion".
The South Korean cabinet then approved the end of martial law on the morning of December 4, 2024, about six hours after Yoon Suk Yeol issued the order.
Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol was escorted to the Corruption Investigation Office for Senior Officials (CIO) on the morning of January 15. The detention order is only valid for 48 hours. The arrest of a sitting president by investigative agencies is an unprecedented event in the history of the Korean Constitution.
In his first statement regarding the arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol, Prime Minister Han Duck Soo said: "All citizens must obey the Constitution and the law."