South Korean prosecutors have indicted impeached President ,Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of inciting insurrection by declaring martial law on December 3, 2024.
This action follows a recommendation from anti-corruption investigators for formal charges against him.
Democratic Party spokesman Han Min-soo announced at a press conference that the "prosecution's decision marks the beginning of accountability for Yoon, who had previously deployed troops and police to the Assembly.
Despite this, lawmakers successfully convened to reject his decree, leading to its retraction. The Constitutional Court is currently deliberating on Yoon's potential dismissal or reinstatement.
Insurrection is one of the few offenses for which a South Korean president lacks immunity, carrying severe penalties, including life imprisonment or death.
Since his arrest on January 15, Yoon has been in solitary confinement, making history as the first sitting president to be detained.
He maintains that his martial law declaration was a necessary measure to alert the public about the threats posed by a liberal-controlled National Assembly.
Over the weekend, courts denied prosecutors' requests to extend his detention, but they have since sought to keep him in custody following the indictment, while Yoon's legal team argues for his immediate release from what they deem unlawful detention.
Yoon intended the actions as a cautionary measure to resolve the political stalemate.
The highest court is now tasked with deciding whether to oust Yoon from his position or restore his presidential authority, with a timeframe of 180 days for this decision.
On December 14, South Korea's opposition-controlled parliament impeached Yoon, "marking him as the second conservative president in the nation to face impeachment. "
Yoon revoked his martial law declaration approximately six hours later, following a parliamentary vote that rejected the decree while lawmakers confronted military personnel.