South Korea's prosecutors indicted impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of leading an insurrection with his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3, 2024.
Yoon's lawyers criticized the indictment as the "worst choice" made by the prosecution service, while the main opposition party welcomed the decision.
The charges are unprecedented for a South Korean president and, if convicted, Yoon could face years in prison for his martial law decree, which sought to ban political and parliamentary activity and control the media.
His move set off a wave of political upheaval in Asia's fourth-largest economy and a top U.S. ally, with the prime minister also impeached and suspended from power and a number of top military officials indicted for their roles in the alleged insurrection.
“(The) President's declaration of emergency martial law was a desperate plea to the public over a national crisis caused by the opposition getting out of control,” Yoon's lawyers said in a statement.
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.
In parallel with the criminal process, the top court will determine whether to remove Yoon from office or reinstate his presidential powers. It has 180 days to decide on that.
Read more here.
