SEOUL: South Korea’s prosecution has indicted President Yoon Suk-yeol on an insurrection charge, as reported by multiple media outlets.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Yoon was put on trial in custody, marking a historic moment as he becomes the first sitting president in the country’s history to be formally arrested and indicted. He is accused of conspiring with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to declare unconstitutional martial law and deploy armed forces into the National Assembly.
After the anti-corruption agency handed over Yoon’s case, the prosecution sought to extend his arrest twice for further investigation. However, the Seoul Central District Court rejected these requests, aiming to expedite Yoon’s trial. A separate Seoul court issued a warrant on January 19 to keep Yoon in custody for up to 20 days, including the arrest period.
Yoon was apprehended at the presidential office on January 15. His impeachment motion passed through the National Assembly on December 14 last year and is currently under review by the constitutional court for up to 180 days, during which Yoon’s presidential powers remain suspended.
On December 3, Yoon declared emergency martial law, which was swiftly revoked by the National Assembly just hours later.