South Korean prosecutors indicted impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday, charging him with leading an insurrection following his brief declaration of martial law on December 3, according to Yoon’s lawyers and the main opposition party.
Yoon’s legal team condemned the indictment, calling it the “worst choice” by the prosecution, while the opposition party supported the move.
These charges are unprecedented for a South Korean president. If convicted, Yoon could face a lengthy prison sentence for his controversial martial law decree, which aimed to ban political and parliamentary activities and control the media.
The move triggered significant political turmoil in South Korea, Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a key U.S. ally. It resulted in the impeachment and suspension of the prime minister, as well as the indictment of several senior military officials connected to the alleged insurrection.
Yoon’s lawyers defended the martial law declaration, claiming it was a necessary response to a national crisis caused by the opposition’s growing influence.
The prosecution office did not immediately comment on the case. The indictment was also reported by South Korean media.
Last week, anti-corruption investigators recommended charging the jailed Yoon, who was impeached by parliament and suspended from office on December 14.
Yoon, a former top prosecutor, became the first sitting president in South Korea’s history to be arrested on January 15 after a tense standoff between his security detail and arresting officers.
Over the weekend, a court denied prosecutors’ request to extend his detention, but following the charges, they have again sought to keep him in custody.
Insurrection is one of the few crimes for which a South Korean president does not have immunity. It carries a potential penalty of life imprisonment or death, though South Korea has not executed anyone in many years.
