The Guardian view on the South Korean leader’s arrest: democracy is a work in progress | Editorial

The first arrest of a sitting president, over his declaration of martial law, shows the strength of the nation's safeguards - but also that more must be done

South Korean presidencies have often ended badly. Office holders have been assassinated, ousted and impeached. Former leaders have faced corruption investigations and sometimes lengthy prison terms.

Yoon Suk Yeol has nonetheless set a precedent as the first president to be arrested in office. Accused of insurrection over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, the former prosecutor has swapped his suits for the standard khaki uniform of a detainee. In apiquant detail, the man who led his country's first impeachment of a president, ParkGeunhye, has alsobeen impeached himself. His powers are currentlysuspended.