South Korea’s Former President, Yoon Suk Yeol Indicted For Power Abuse

Former South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol has been indicted for abuse of power over his controversial declaration of martial law last year.

Prosecutors say the charges are part of a broader investigation into an attempted insurrection.

The political crisis began on December 3 when Yoon, still in office at the time, ordered troops to occupy the country’s parliament in an attempt to stop lawmakers from voting against his martial law directive.

The move was widely seen as an effort to undermine civilian rule.

Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested in January after resisting law enforcement for weeks, using his security team to block investigators.

Although he was temporarily released in March on procedural grounds, he continued to face trial for attempting to overthrow the government.

The ex-president was re-arrested last week after prosecutors raised concerns that he might tamper with evidence.

Prosecutor Park Ji-young said on Saturday that Yoon had now been indicted on multiple charges, including abuse of power and obstruction of official duties.

“The prosecution indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges including abuse of power and obstruction of special official duties”, Ji-young told reporters Saturday.

Yoon also faces accusations of bypassing legal procedures required for declaring martial law, such as failing to consult his full cabinet.

Additionally, Yoon is alleged to have faked a document claiming that the prime minister and defense minister had backed his decision.

Since his latest detention, the ex-president has refused to cooperate with questioning.

However, he did appear in court on Friday to contest his arrest warrant.

Yoon’s legal team said he spoke for over half an hour, citing health issues and physical limitations, but the court rejected his appeal.

Yoon Suk Yeol is currently being held in a solitary cell equipped with a fan, but no air-conditioning even as South Korea faces extreme heat.

KanyiDaily had reported how Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by lawmakers in December 2024 over his attempt to impose martial law.