South Korea: Jailed ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol faces fresh charges over martial law decree; could remain in jail six more months
S
outh Korea's former president Yoon Suk Yeol, already behind bars, has been indicted on further criminal charges tied to his controversial martial law declaration in December.
According to the new agency Associated Press, the fresh indictment means Yoon will remain in detention for up to six months as he undergoes trial at the Seoul Central District Court. He was returned to prison last week after the court approved his arrest warrant sought by special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk, who is leading an independent probe into Yoon's actions.
The latest charges include abuse of power for allegedly excluding some Cabinet ministers while enforcing the emergency decree, a violation of South Korean law that mandates full Cabinet consent for such measures.
As per AP, senior investigator Park Ji-young from Cho's team said Yoon had only summoned selected Cabinet members to approve martial law on December 3. He has also been accused of fabricating and later destroying an official document meant to justify the declaration.
According to news agency Reuters, prosecutors also charged Yoon with obstructing others' rights through abuse of authority and deleting official records, as well as blocking the execution of arrest warrants.
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The former leader has denied all allegations, though his legal team has yet to issue a statement regarding the new indictment.
Yoon had earlier been charged with insurrection, a serious crime in South Korea punishable by either life imprisonment or the death penalty. After he imposed martial law, troops and police were deployed to block the opposition-controlled National Assembly. However, lawmakers managed to access the chamber and overturn his decree.
This ultimately led to his impeachment, with even members of his own party voting to suspend him.
Following his ousting, the Constitutional Court formally removed him from office in April, leading to a snap presidential election.
New president Lee Jae Myung, formerly of the Democratic Party, initiated a deeper investigation into Yoon's actions, appointing Cho as special counsel to lead the inquiry.
Back in May, Yoon was already facing charges for misusing state power to direct security forces to seal off the parliament and election offices, acts prosecutors say exceeded his presidential authority.
Yoon, defending his actions, previously described his martial law order as a last-ditch effort to rally the public against the 'wickedness' of the opposition, whom he once labelled 'a den of criminals' and 'anti-state forces.'
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