Impeached South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol indicted on insurrection charges

South Korean prosecutors have indicted impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of leading a rebellion after he briefly imposed martial law last month. The country’s opposition party and several South Korean media reports confirmed this development. Yoon, a conservative, enjoys presidential immunity from most criminal prosecutions, but this privilege does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason. Under South Korean law, the leader of a rebellion can face life in prison or the death penalty.

“The prosecution has decided to indict Yoon Suk Yeol, who is facing charges of being a ringleader of insurrection,” Democratic Party spokesman Han Min-soo said at a press conference. “The punishment of the ringleader of insurrection now begins finally.”

This move makes Yoon the first sitting South Korean president to face an indictment and criminal investigation. Yoon became the second conservative president to be impeached in South Korea when the opposition-led parliament voted to suspend his duties on Dec. 14.

Yoon was arrested earlier this month over his Dec. 3, 2024, martial law decree that caused political turmoil in the country. Despite denying any wrongdoing, Yoon defended his martial law as a legitimate act of governance aimed at raising public awareness of the dangers posed by the liberal-controlled National Assembly, which he claimed obstructed his agenda and impeached top officials.

In a bold move, Yoon declared martial law, labeling the assembly “a den of criminals” and vowing to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.” Despite sending troops and police officers to the assembly, lawmakers still managed to vote down Yoon’s decree unanimously, forcing his Cabinet to lift it.

After just six hours, Yoon rescinded the decree, but the imposition of martial law was the first of its kind in South Korea in over 40 years, stirring memories of past dictatorial rules. Yoon resisted efforts by investigative authorities to question or detain him, leading to a days-long standoff with his security detail before his arrest on Jan. 15.

Since then, Yoon has been held in solitary confinement, becoming the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested. Following a court’s approval of a formal arrest warrant, dozens of Yoon’s supporters stormed the court building, resulting in violence that left 17 police officers injured and 46 protesters detained.

While the Constitutional Court deliberates on whether to formally dismiss Yoon as president or reinstate him, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials has been leading the investigation into his rebellion allegations. Yoon has refused to attend questioning, arguing that the CIO lacks the legal authority to investigate rebellion allegations. The CIO insists it can investigate these claims as they relate to Yoon’s abuse of power and other allegations.

Yoon’s defense team has urged prosecutors to release him immediately and launch an investigation into the CIO. South Korean media outlets reported that the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Yoon on rebellion charges.

Yoon’s defense minister, police chief, and several military commanders have also been arrested for their roles in the martial law decree. This ongoing situation continues to unfold in South Korea, with significant implications for the country’s political landscape.