Former South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol was indicted on new criminal charges Saturday, intensifying the legal fallout from his controversial martial law declaration on December 3.
The charges stem from an ongoing investigation led by special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk, focusing on Yoon’s actions during his short-lived imposition of martial law, which plunged the nation into political chaos.
Investigators accuse Yoon of abusing his authority to obstruct the rights of Cabinet members by selectively summoning them to approve the emergency decree, violating South Korean law requiring full Cabinet consent.
Yoon faces allegations of fabricating and destroying official documents tied to the martial law declaration, alongside charges of ordering the deletion of records and blocking arrest warrants.
These new indictments add to earlier charges of insurrection and masterminding a rebellion, which carry potential penalties of life imprisonment or death.
Currently detained at Seoul Detention Center, Yoon was sent back to prison last week after a court approved an arrest warrant, rejecting his plea for release earlier this week.
Yoon’s martial law decree, which he claimed was a bid to counter the opposition-led National Assembly’s “anti-state” actions, prompted troops and police to surround the legislature.
Lawmakers, including some from Yoon’s own party, swiftly voted down the decree, leading to his impeachment and removal from office by the Constitutional Court in April.
The investigation, now under independent counsel Cho Eun-suk, continues to probe Yoon’s actions, including allegations involving his administration and wife, as South Korea grapples with the aftermath of his presidency.