T HE PRESIDENCY of South Korea can be a treacherous job. Past office-holders have been impeached and even assassinated. But until January 15th, when investigators took Yoon Suk Yeol into custody, a sitting president had never been arrested.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has already been impeached, became South Korea’s first sitting leader to be detained after weeks of openly defying authorities.

Yoon was brought into custody about three hours after hundreds of law enforcement officers entered the residential compound in their second attempt to detain him.