Shameless and disgraced former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been officially indicted on multiple charges, including abuse of power and obstruction of official duties, after a controversial attempt to enforce martial law last year threw the nation into political turmoil.
Yoon sparked a national crisis on December 3 when he ordered troops to the National Assembly in an effort to block lawmakers from rejecting his declaration of martial law—an unprecedented move that threatened to upend the country’s democratic order.
After weeks of resisting arrest and using his presidential security detail to shield himself from investigators, Yoon was taken into custody in January, becoming the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested while in office. Though released in March on procedural grounds, his trial on charges of insurrection continued.
He was re-arrested last week after prosecutors raised concerns that he might tamper with evidence. On Saturday, prosecutor Park Ji-young announced the official indictment, which includes charges of abuse of power, obstruction of duty, and forging official documents.
Park stated that Yoon failed to follow due process in declaring martial law, including bypassing a required cabinet meeting. Investigators also allege that he created and later discarded a false document claiming that both the prime minister and defense minister had approved the decision.
Since his re-arrest, Yoon has refused to cooperate with prosecutors but did appear in court Friday to contest the arrest warrant. His legal team said he spoke in his own defense for over 30 minutes, citing his limited physical mobility and poor conditions in detention.
Despite this, the court upheld the warrant. Yoon remains in solitary confinement, held in a cell with only a fan for relief as South Korea faces an ongoing heat wave.
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