Friday, January 31

South Korea President Yoon indicted for insurrection over martial law decree

Prosecutors in South Korea charged impeached President Yoon Suk Yeolon on Sunday with inciting an uprising through his brief declaration of martial law on December 3, according to the main opposition party.

Yoon faces years in prison if found guilty of the accusations, which are unprecedented for a South Korean president. Yoon’s bombshell martial law order aimed to control the media and prohibit political and parliamentary activity.

His action sparked political turmoil in the fourth-largest economy in Asia and a major ally of the United States. The prime minister was also impeached and suspended from office, and several senior military officers were charged for their involvement in the purported uprising.

Requests for comment were not immediately answered by the prosecutor’s office. South Korean media also reported on the indictment.

Last Monday, anti-corruption investigators suggested that the detained Yoon, who was suspended from his position on December 14 and impeached by parliament, be charged.

After days of a fierce, armed confrontation between his security detail and arresting officials, Yoon, a former top prosecutor himself, became the first sitting president to be arrested on January 15 and has been in solitary confinement ever since.

According to media reports, prosecutors have again asked that he be held in custody due to the charges after a court twice denied their plea to prolong his detention over the weekend while they carried out additional investigation.

Yoon’s attorneys had pleaded with the prosecution to free him right away from what they claim is unlawful detention.

One of the few crimes to which a South Korean president is not immune is insurrection. Although there hasn’t been an execution in decades, it carries a life sentence or the death penalty.

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At a news conference, Democratic Party spokesman Han Min-soo announced that the prosecution has chosen to indict Yoon Suk Yeol, who is accused of being a ringleader of insurrection. Finally, the insurgency’s ringleader is being punished.

At his impeachment trial hearing last week, Yoon and his attorneys contended that he never wanted to fully implement martial law and had merely meant the measures as a warning to break political impasse.

The top court will have 180 days to decide whether to remove Yoon from office or restore his presidential powers in tandem with his criminal case.

On December 14, Yoon became the second conservative president of South Korea to be impeached by the opposition-led parliament.

About six hours after parliamentarians voted against the martial law decree in parliament while facing soldiers, Yoon lifted it.

During the dramatic clash, soldiers wearing guns, body armor, and night-vision gear were observed entering the parliament building through broken windows.

Within sixty days following Yoon’s removal from office, a presidential election would take place.

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