South Korean prosecutors indict impeached president who declared martial law

South Korean prosecutors person indicted impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol connected charges of starring a rebellion aft helium concisely imposed martial instrumentality past month, according to the country’s absorption party, arsenic good arsenic respective South Korean media reports. 

Yoon, a conservative, has statesmanlike immunity from astir transgression prosecutions, but the privilege does not widen to allegations of rebellion oregon treason. By law successful South Korea, the person of a rebellion tin look beingness successful situation oregon the decease penalty. 

"The prosecution has decided to indict Yoon Suk Yeol, who is facing charges of being a ringleader of insurrection," Democratic Party spokesperson Han Min-soo said astatine a property conference, according to Reuters. "The punishment of the ringleader of insurrection present begins finally."

The determination announced Sunday makes Yoon the archetypal sitting South Korean president to look an indictment and transgression investigation, according to the Washington Post. 

Yoon became the 2nd blimpish president to beryllium impeached successful South Korea erstwhile the opposition-led parliament voted to suspend his duties connected Dec. 14. 

IMPEACHED SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT DETAINED WEEKS AFTER MARTIAL LAW CHAOS

He was arrested earlier this month implicit his Dec. 3, 2024, martial instrumentality decree that plunged Asia's fourth-largest system and a cardinal U.S. state into governmental turmoil. Yoon has steadfastly denied immoderate wrongdoing, calling his martial instrumentality a morganatic enactment of governance meant to rise nationalist consciousness of the information of the liberal-controlled National Assembly, which obstructed his docket and impeached apical officials. 

In declaring martial law, Yoon called the assembly "a den of criminals" and vowed to destruct "shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces." 

He sent troops and constabulary officers to the assembly, but capable lawmakers inactive managed to participate an assembly enclosure to ballot down Yoon’s decree unanimously, forcing his Cabinet to assistance it. 

Though Yoon rescinded the decree after conscionable six hours, the martial instrumentality imposition was the archetypal of its benignant successful South Korea successful much than 40 years and evoked achy memories of past dictatorial rules successful the 1960s-80s. 

Yoon had resisted efforts by investigative authorities to question oregon detain him. After a days-long standoff betwixt his information item and authorities, Yoon was past apprehended connected Jan. 15 successful a monolithic instrumentality enforcement cognition astatine his statesmanlike compound, becoming the archetypal sitting South Korean president to beryllium arrested. Yoon, a erstwhile authoritative himself, has been held successful solitary confinement since then, according to Reuters. 

SOUTH KOREA’S IMPEACHED PRESIDENT AVOIDS ARREST ATTEMPT AFTER HOURSLONG STANDOFF

After a section tribunal connected Jan. 19 approved a formal apprehension warrant to widen Yoon’s detainment, dozens of his supporters stormed the tribunal building, destroying windows, doors and different property, according to the Associated Press. They besides attacked constabulary officers with bricks, alloy pipes and different objects. The unit near 17 constabulary officers injured, and constabulary said they detained 46 protesters.

Separate from transgression judicial proceedings, the Constitutional Court is present deliberating whether to formally disregard Yoon arsenic president oregon reinstate him.

Leading Yoon’s probe was the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, but since his detainment Yoon has refused to be CIO’s questioning, saying it has nary ineligible authorization to analyse rebellion allegations. The CIO has said it tin analyse Yoon’s rebellion allegation arsenic it’s related to his maltreatment of powerfulness and different allegations. 

The CIO handed implicit Yoon’s lawsuit to the Seoul prosecutors’ bureau Friday and asked it to indict him connected rebellion, maltreatment of powerfulness and obstruction of the National Assembly. 

In a connection Saturday, Yoon’s defence squad urged prosecutors to instantly merchandise Yoon and motorboat an probe into the CIO.

South Korean media outlets, including Yonhap quality agency, reported connected Sunday that the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Yoon connected rebellion charges.

Yoon’s defence minister, constabulary main and respective different subject commanders person already been arrested implicit their roles successful the martial instrumentality decree.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.