Which Presidents Have Been Arrested While in Office? [AK Radio]

Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States, was the first sitting president to be arrested
He was the U.S. president during the 1871 Shinmiyangyo (U.S. expedition to Ganghwa Island)
In Peru, a president who declared emergency measures was removed from office within five hours

President Yoon Suk-yeol's arrest has triggered an unprecedented event in the history of Korea's constitutional governance. Not only is this the first time a sitting president has been arrested in the history of the Republic of Korea, but it is also only the second such case in world history.

The fact that among the six Korean presidents since the 2000s, three have had impeachment motions passed by the National Assembly highlights the instability of Korean politics. Former President Roh Moo-hyun's impeachment was dismissed by the Constitutional Court, former President Park Geun-hye's was upheld, and President Yoon Suk-yeol's case is currently under review by the Constitutional Court. That half of the presidents in a relatively short period of about 20 years have faced impeachment motions in the National Assembly is seen as a symbolic event demonstrating the extreme confrontational nature of Korean politics.

Yonhap News

The first sitting president to be arrested was Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States

The first case in world history of a sitting president being arrested occurred 153 years ago in 1872 with Ulysses S. Grant, the President of the United States. Grant, the 18th president of the U.S., is the figure whose face is depicted on the current US $50 bill. He is credited with saving the United States from the brink of division and laying the foundation for reconstruction, and he was successfully re-elected. Notably, there is a historical connection with Korea as he was the U.S. president during the 1871 Shinmiyangyo (U.S. expedition to Korea). The Shinmiyangyo was an incident where 1,200 U.S. troops aboard five warships attacked in retaliation for the burning of the American merchant ship General Sherman in 1866, which had sought trade. It was the first armed conflict between Korea and the United States.

President Grant served as the commander-in-chief of the Union Army during the Civil War and became president at the age of 46. His arrest was reported by the Washington Evening Star on September 27, 1908, and also covered by the Washington Post on May 31, 2024.

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The circumstances of the arrest were quite dramatic. Officer William West was investigating an incident where a woman and her child were seriously injured in a carriage accident. This led him to take an interest in and enforce regulations against speeding carriages. When he first stopped President Grant's carriage, he issued only a warning. However, when the same violation was repeated the next day, he said, "Mr. President, you are the head of this country and I am only a police officer, but duty is duty," and proceeded with the arrest. However, President Grant was not prosecuted and the matter was resolved by paying a fine. This is recorded in history as the 'first case of a sitting president being arrested.'

A similar case occurred in Peru in 2022

Meanwhile, a similar type of incident occurred in Peru in 2022. On December 7, 2022, Pedro Castillo, the President of Peru, was arrested just five hours after stepping down from office. Castillo declared the dissolution of Congress and the establishment of an emergency government in a televised speech. However, he faced strong opposition from both ruling and opposition parties. The Peruvian Congress defined the president's actions as a coup and passed an impeachment motion with 101 out of 130 members in favor. This occurred just five hours after Castillo declared the dissolution of Congress.

Unlike Korea, in Peru, the president's removal is finalized solely by the parliamentary impeachment vote without a Constitutional Court review. Castillo attempted to flee through the Mexican embassy immediately after his removal but was arrested. The Peruvian prosecution sought a 34-year sentence for illegal suspension of congressional functions and obstruction of the judiciary's inherent duties. He has been imprisoned for two years now.

President Yoon Suk-yeol's arrest is expected to become a new turning point for Korean democracy. Occurring amid deepening political instability, this incident is likely to be recorded as a significant milestone in the history of Korean politics. Although it is an unfortunate event for the nation, it is also seen as an opportunity for profound reflection on the functioning of the rule of law and democracy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.