The former right-wing president of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, has been arrested a second time to face additional charges over his short-lived attempt to declare martial law.
The arrest was approved after a request from a special prosecutor appointed by South Korea's new liberal president, who has moved swiftly to pursue additional charges against Yoon, who was initially indicted for insurrection.
His return to custody comes months after he was released from jail over issues concerning the length of his detention.
South Korea plunged into crisis in December after Yoon declared martial law, supposedly to crack down on North Korean influence in the then-opposition party. Yoon's emergency decree was swiftly overturned by parliament and led to massive protests for and against him.
After barricading himself inside the presidential residence, he was finally taken into custody and charged with insurrection after a weeks-long standoff that ended with police scaling the walls of his compound.
Yoon was removed from office in April after the nation's Constitutional Court upheld his impeachment.
South Korea's new liberal president, Lee Jae-myung, won a snap election in June as a campaigner for democracy and moved quickly to appoint a special prosecutor to look into new charges against Yoon.
Special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk requested Sunday that Yoon be arrested again, warning that Yoon might destroy evidence about his alleged coup attempt, and a court in Seoul approved the warrant Thursday.
It's unclear how long Yoon will stay behind bars, but he could be held for up to six months if he is indicted again.
Yoon's lawyers have condemned the arrest as an extraordinary and excessive measure, but Yoon had appeared in court on Wednesday for a seven-hour hearing, after which he was taken to a nearby detention center.
His attorneys say there is no danger of evidence being tampered with, as Yoon's alleged accomplices are all in custody.
The special counsel accuses Yoon of falsifying documents, abusing power and obstructing justice. Among other acts, he is accused of ignoring the rights of cabinet members who were not invited to a meeting to discuss martial law.
The first South Korean president to be arrested, Yoon faces life in prison or even death if found guilty. He has decried the charges against him as politically motivated.
“The special counsel, who is supposed to guarantee neutrality and fairness, is leading the most politicized and biased investigation,” his lawyers said in a statement.
