PDB Afternoon Bulletin | January 15th, 2025: Impeached South Korean President Arrested & The Threats Facing Trump's Inauguration

Summary

The President's Daily Brief: January 15th, 2025

Hosted by Mike Slater, filling in for Mike Baker of The First TV

---

Introduction

In the January 15th, 2025 episode of The President's Daily Brief (PDB) Afternoon Bulletin, host Mike Slater delves into two major global and national issues. The first segment covers the unprecedented arrest of South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yul, analyzing the political turmoil that led to his detention. The second segment addresses the heightened security measures and threat assessments surrounding the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, highlighting both foreign and domestic threats, including those from Iran.

---

Section 1: Arrest of Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yul

Mike Slater opens the bulletin by detailing the dramatic arrest of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yul, marking a historic moment in the nation's political landscape.

Martial Law and Impeachment

President Yoon declared martial law last month in an attempt to quell what he termed an "anti-state opposition." This controversial move involved deploying troops around the parliament, a decision that was swiftly overturned by lawmakers. On December 14th, South Korea's legislature voted to impeach Yoon, stripping him of his presidential powers.

Arrest Operation

Yoon's arrest transpired after an hours-long standoff at his fortified presidential residence in Seoul. The operation was spearheaded by over a thousand officers from the National Police Agency and the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO). Using wire cutters and ladders to breach barricades, authorities successfully detained Yoon, escorting him in a convoy of black SUVs amidst chants from his supporters condemning the action as unlawful. Slater emphasizes, "This marks the first time a sitting South Korean president has been detained" (00:45).

Legal Proceedings and Charges

Yoon faces serious charges, including rebellion—a grave offense under South Korean law that could lead to life imprisonment or even the death penalty. The CIO has 48 hours to secure a court order for his formal arrest, after which prosecutors will have up to 20 days to prepare an indictment. In Yoon's defense, he released statements asserting the collapse of the rule of law in South Korea and denying any wrongdoing in his declaration of martial law.

Political Fallout

The arrest has sent shockwaves through South Korea. Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang Mok met with U.S. and G7 diplomats to reassure international partners of governmental stability. Opposition leaders argue that Yoon's actions warrant severe penalties, while his allies claim the arrest is politically motivated. Notably, several high-ranking officials, including Yoon's defense minister and police chief, have also been detained for their roles in enforcing martial law.

Constitutional Court's Role

The Constitutional Court is now tasked with determining Yoon's fate, with the next hearing scheduled for Thursday. The nation remains deeply divided as the court deliberates whether to permanently remove Yoon from office or reinstate him.

---

Section 2: Security Preparations and Threats Facing Trump's Inauguration

Shifting focus to the United States, Mike Slater provides an in-depth analysis of the security landscape surrounding President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, scheduled for the upcoming Monday.

Threat Assessment Overview

U.S. Intelligence agencies have issued a comprehensive threat assessment highlighting numerous risks from both foreign and domestic terrorists. While there are no specific threats identified against Trump or Washington, D.C., the ceremony is considered an "attractive potential target for violent extremists" (04:30).

Potential Scenarios

The assessment outlines several "nightmare scenarios," including:

• Bomb hoaxes
• Swatting calls
• Drone incursions
• Vehicle-ramming attacks

These threats could be orchestrated by foreign terrorists, domestic extremists, or lone actors inspired by extremist rhetoric.

Focus on Iran

A significant concern is the enduring hostility from Iranian factions. Slater references a video released by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps shortly after Trump's election victory, which threatened to "finish the job" on the president-elect. This video reportedly incited assassination threats against Trump from approximately 700,000 users on social media (05:00). While direct orchestration by Iran is unconfirmed, the rhetoric poses a risk of inspiring lone wolf attacks.

Domestic Threats and Protests

Beyond foreign threats, domestic instability remains a pressing issue. Law enforcement officials are particularly anxious about protests related to the Gaza conflict, fearing they could escalate into violence. Previous demonstrations in similar contexts have led to mass arrests, heightening concerns for the inauguration's security.

Security Measures

In response to these threats, authorities are deploying extensive security resources:

• 25,000 police officers
• 7,800 National Guard soldiers
• Teams from two FBI field offices
• A fleet of drones for aerial surveillance

John Cohen, a former counterterrorism official involved in planning President Biden's 2021 inauguration, remarked to Politico: "The threat environment today is even more volatile and more dangerous than it was in 2021" (06:10). Despite the heightened risks, officials assert confidence in their ability to secure the event effectively.

---

Conclusion

Today's PDB Afternoon Bulletin underscores two critical developments: the unprecedented detention of South Korea's former president amidst intense political strife, and the comprehensive security preparations for President-elect Trump's inauguration amidst a complex threat landscape. Both events highlight the fragile nature of political stability and the constant vigilance required to safeguard democratic processes.

For more detailed analysis and updates, listeners are encouraged to follow future episodes of The President's Daily Brief.

---

Note: The advert segment by Tucker Carlson promoting a documentary was excluded to maintain focus on the core content of the bulletin.

Transcript

[Mike Baker]

Hey there, Mike Baker checking in. I'm still deep in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and Jordan. We're making solid progress thanks to the camels and a terrific support team. Meanwhile, Mike Slater is filling in to make sure you stay informed. And don't forget, stay safe and cool.

[Mike Slater]

Thanks, Mike. It's Wednesday, 15th January 2025. Welco welcome back to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Slater from Politics by Faith and SiriusXM Patriot. Let's get briefed. Today we'll begin in South Korea where impeached President Yoon Suk Yul has been arrested as the fallout continues from his shock martial law decree last month. Do you remember that? Later in the show, we'll continue our coverage of the security preparations going into President Elect Donald Trump's upcoming inauguration on Monday, particularly in light of a threat assessment warning about the myriad risks facing the event, including for Iran. But first, today's afternoon spotlight. South Korea's impeached President Yuk Sul Yoon was arrested Wednesday after an hours long standoff at his fortified presidential residence, marking a historic turn in the country's ongoing political crisis. Yoon, the first sitting South Korean president to be detained, declared martial law last month in a controversial bid to counter what he described as a, quote, anti state opposition. His brief imposition of martial law, which deployed troops around parliament, was overturned by lawmakers who later voted to impeach him on 14 December, stripping him of his presidential powers. Yoon's arrest follows weeks of political turmoil and his refusal to leave the presidential compound in Seoul. The operation to detain Yoon involved over a thousand officers from the National Police Agency and the Corruption Investigation Office for high ranking officials who led the raid against Yun's presidential security forces. After hours of standoff, officers breached the compound using wire cutters and ladders to scale barricades. Yun was escorted from the residence in a convoy of black SUVs. His departure was met with chants from hundreds of his supporters condemning the detention as unlawful. Yun is questioned for over 10 hours at the CIO headquarters before being transferred to a detention center near Soul. The charges against him stemming from his martial law declaration include rebellion, a grave offense under South Korean law that carries possibility of life imprisonment or even the death penalty. The CIO now has 48 hours to request a court order for Yoon's formal arrest. Without it, he must be released. Should the order be granted, prosecutors will have up to 20 days to prepare an indictment. In a video recorded before his arrest, Yun denounced the investigation, asserting that the, quote, rule of law has completely collapsed and in South Korea, his legal team challenged the validity of the detention warrant, citing legal protections from military secrets, which covers the president, and questioning the CIO's jurisdiction over rebellion charges. In a separate video posted to Facebook after he was detained, Yoon stated martial law is not a crime and that his declaration was necessary to combat what he described as a, quote, legislative dictatorship by opposition party lawmakers blocking his policies. The warrant issued by the Seoul Western District Court, however, described Yoon as the, quote, ringleader of a rebellion. The arrest sent shockwaves through South Korea's political landscape. South Korea's acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang Mok, met with diplomats from the US and other G7 nations, including a representative of the EU, aiming to reassure international partners of the government's stability. Yoon's political allies, including members of his People Power Party, condemned the arrest as a politically motivated attack on while opposition leaders argue that his actions warrant the harshest penalties. Already, several high ranking officials, Yoon's defense minister, police chief, top military commanders have been detained for their role in enforcing martial law. As South Korea remains deeply divided, the Constitutional Court is now tasked with deciding whether to remove Yoon from office permanently or reinstate him, with the next hearing scheduled for Thursday coming up next. Ahead of President elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday, US Intelligence agencies have issued a threat assessment warning of risks from foreign terrorists, including Iran and domestic terrorists. More on that after the break.

[Tucker Carlson]

Hey, it's Tucker Carlson. It was five years ago this month that people started to drop dead in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Five years since the beginning of COVID Tens of millions dead, societies reordered completely, economies destroyed. And yet for some reason, we still don't know answers to the most basic questions. And one man knows those answers. His name is Dr. Tony Fauci. And now a documentary filmmaker called Jenner first is out with a new film explaining exactly what happened. The film is called thank you Dr. Fauci. We are proud to host that documentary here on TCN from December 20th to January 19th. You will see it exclusively here on Tucker Carlson.com Again, it's called thank you Dr. Fauci, and it's worth It.

[Mike Slater]

Welcome back to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Slater filling in for Mike Baker. I want to return to our coverage of President elect Donald Trump's upcoming inauguration on Monday, as US Intelligence agencies warned the event could attract wide ranging threats, including from the mullahs of Iran. As we discussed on yesterday's program, there's no known specific threats against the President elect or Washington, D.C. at this time. But authorities have said the ceremony remains, quote, an attractive potential target for violent extremists, both foreign and domestic. According to a threat assessment from a group of intelligence and law enforcement agencies, potential perpetrators with election related grievances may see the inauguration as their, quote, last opportunity to influence the election results through violence. The threat assessment, which has not been made public but was reviewed by Politico, outlines a myriad of potential scenarios that officials are preparing for ahead of the ceremony. The nightmare scenarios range from bomb hoaxes, swatting calls, drone flights or vehicle ramming attacks that could be carried out by foreign terrorists, domestic terrorists or lone wolves. Of course, the nation's still reeling from the ISIS inspired New Year's Day truck ramming attack in New Orleans as well as the cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas, both of which prompted officials to further tighten security for the upcoming inauguration. But another major concern is Iran.

[Mike Baker]

Iran?

[Mike Slater]

Our listeners know the mullahs have been engaged in a years long effort to assassinate Trump and members of his first administration over the killing of Iranian military commander qasem Soleimani in 2020. While Iranian leaders have denied the plots, given the two assassination attempts against Trump during the tumultuous campaign season, authorities remain on high alert. The threat assessment points to a video released by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the immediate aftermath of Trump's election victory, threatening to kill the president elect. Uploaded to their telegram account, the video ended with footage of a bloodied Trump and the words, quote, we will finish the job. Intelligence officials said the post prompted assassination threats against Trump from some 700,000 users on the social media app. Even if Iran is not planning to orchestrate their own plot, officials appear concerned that their rhetoric could inspire a lone wolf to act. In addition to foreign threats, law enforcement is also concerned that the widespread protest expected during the inauguration could turn violent, noting that many of the groups that have applied for permits have arranged previous demonstrations that ended in arrests. They're particularly anxious about protests related to the conflict in Gaza and that the war could inspire extremists residing stateside. Taken together, authorities say the security risks facing Trump's inauguration on Monday are historically unprecedented. John Cohen, a former counterterrorism official who helped plan President Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration, told POLITICO, quote, as I sit here today, based on the work I've been doing with law enforcement for the past four years, the threat environment today is even more volatile and more dangerous than it was in 2021. But officials say they're more than up to the task of securing the event. Some 25,000 police officers and 7,800 National Guard soldiers will be deployed in the Capitol for Monday ceremony, and they'll be aided by teams from two FBI field offices and a fleet of drones that will be monitoring the security situation from the sky. And that is today's PDB Afternoon bulletin for Wednesday, 15 January. To listen to the show ad free, you can become a premium member of the President's Daily brief by visiting PDB premium.com I'm Mike Slater from the podcast Politics by faith. Also SiriusXM patriot. My handle is Slater Radio on Twitter and Instagram. We'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay safe and spread the word.

[Mike Baker]

It.