Former South Korean President Faces New Indictment
South Korean prosecutors on Thursday indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol for abuse of power, escalating the legal troubles facing the ousted leader. The charge relates to his controversial declaration of martial law in December, which triggered his impeachment and removal from office.
Yoon, 64, is already standing trial for orchestrating an insurrection over his December 3 attempt to suspend civilian rule. His decree—which deployed armed soldiers to parliament—was overturned within hours after opposition lawmakers scaled fences to enter the building and voted it down. The National Assembly later impeached Yoon, and in April, the Constitutional Court stripped him of all presidential powers and privileges.
Prosecutors initially charged Yoon in January while he was still in office, accusing him of being "the ringleader of an insurrection"—a charge not shielded by presidential immunity.
"We have proceeded with the [insurrection] trial while conducting supplementary investigations into the abuse of power allegation, leading to this additional indictment," prosecutors said in a statement.
Yoon was briefly detained in January over the insurrection charge but was released in March on procedural grounds. He has not been taken into custody for the new abuse of authority charge.
Bribery Probe Targets Yoon’s Wife and Shaman Associate
The indictment follows a raid on Yoon’s private Seoul residence on Wednesday, part of a widening investigation into bribery allegations involving his wife, Kim Keon Hee, and a shaman accused of receiving luxury gifts on her behalf.
Prosecutors are examining whether Jeon Seong-bae, a shaman, accepted a diamond necklace, a high-end handbag, and expensive ginseng from a senior official of the Unification Church before passing them to Kim. Separately, the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office has reopened a probe into Kim’s alleged involvement in stock manipulation—a case previously dropped during Yoon’s presidency.
Yoon also faces accusations of illegally interfering in his party’s candidate nominations ahead of the 2022 parliamentary elections. He has denied all wrongdoing.
If convicted of insurrection, Yoon could face life imprisonment or even the death penalty—though South Korea has not carried out an execution since 1997.
Snap Election Looms After Yoon’s Fall
Yoon is the third South Korean president to be impeached and the second to be removed from office. With his ouster, the country will hold a snap election on June 3 to choose his successor.
Prosecutors continue to investigate Yoon’s ties to religious figures in an influence-peddling case. Earlier this week, authorities searched his home for documents that could link him and his wife to the scandal.
A spokesperson for the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office declined to comment on whether investigators had entered the residence. After his December impeachment, Yoon had resisted searches of the presidential compound, citing national security concerns. He moved to his private home on April 11.