Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Indicted on Insurrection Charges

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Indicted on Insurrection Charges

South Korean prosecutors have indicted impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of leading an insurrection. This follows a recommendation from anti-corruption investigators last week and makes Mr. Yoon the first sitting president in Korea's history to be indicted under detention.

The indictment stems from Mr. Yoon's short-lived martial law declaration on December 3rd, which stunned the world and was swiftly revoked by a parliamentary vote. He was subsequently impeached by the national assembly.

Investigators launched a pre-dawn operation on December 15th to arrest Mr. Yoon, triggering a near three-hour standoff between his supporters and police officers. He was eventually arrested and is currently detained at the Seoul Detention Center.

Insurrection is one of the few criminal charges from which a South Korean president does not have immunity. It is punishable by life imprisonment or death, although South Korea has not executed anyone in decades.

Mr. Yoon has defended his actions, claiming that his martial law declaration was only meant to inform the public of the danger of an opposition-controlled national assembly. He argues that the imposition ended early because he quickly withdrew troops after the assembly voted down his decree.

The indictment comes a day before Mr. Yoon's detention period was set to end. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which was investigating Mr. Yoon, transferred the case to the prosecution on Thursday, since legally the agency cannot indict a president.

Prosecutors reviewed the evidence and determined that indicting Mr. Yoon was the appropriate choice. However, they were unable to investigate further after a Seoul court rejected two requests to extend the president's detention period.

As Mr. Yoon awaits a Constitutional Court trial that will decide whether to permanently suspend his powers or return him to office, the country grapples with extreme political turmoil.