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South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol was formally indicted on Saturday for abuse of power, deepening an ongoing investigation into alleged insurrection after his controversial declaration of martial law last year.
Yoon ignited a political storm on December 3 when he attempted to undermine democratic governance by deploying troops to the National Assembly in an effort to stop lawmakers from overturning his martial law order.
He made history as the first sitting South Korean president to be taken into custody, following a dramatic standoff in January where he resisted arrest for weeks, using his presidential security team to obstruct law enforcement.
Although released in March on procedural grounds, his trial on charges of insurrection proceeded. Last week, he was arrested again after a court issued a fresh warrant amid fears he might tamper with evidence.
“The prosecution indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges including abuse of power and obstruction of special official duties,” prosecutor Park Ji-young told reporters on Saturday.
Park further stated that Yoon bypassed mandatory steps in declaring martial law, such as convening a full cabinet meeting. In addition, he was charged with “drafting and discarding a false document” which falsely claimed the prime minister and defence minister had approved the move.
Despite being detained, Yoon has declined to attend interrogations. However, he did appear in court on Friday to contest the arrest warrant.
According to his legal team, Yoon “defended himself for over 30 minutes”, citing his “limited physical mobility and the challenges he was facing”. The court ultimately rejected his appeal.
Yoon is currently being held in solitary confinement in a cell equipped with a fan but lacking air-conditioning, as the country endures an oppressive summer heatwave.
