South Korea's Yoon indicted again amid insurrection trial
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Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces a new indictment for abuse of power over his martial law declaration, as his insurrection trial continues ahead of a June snap election.
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South Korea's ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, who is facing charges of orchestrating a rebellion when he declared martial law on December 3, arrives to attend his criminal trial at a courtroom of the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul on April 21, 2025. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool Photo via AP)
On Thursday, Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was indicted without detention for abuse of power linked to his martial law declaration, prosecutors announced.
This marks a new legal setback for the impeached leader, who is already facing trial for allegedly orchestrating an insurrection against South Korea’s civilian leadership.
The case stems from a December 3 declaration of martial law, during which armed military forces were deployed to the National Assembly. The measure was short-lived, lasting only six hours before opposition lawmakers stormed the parliamentary building and overturned the order.
Yoon, 64, was impeached after the declaration and officially stripped of authority in April when the Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment motion.
The new indictment follows a raid by South Korean prosecutors on Yoon's residence, local media reported on Wednesday, as part of an investigation into a shaman accused of receiving luxury gifts on behalf of the former first lady.
Yoon, ousted from office earlier this month by the Constitutional Court, had recently moved into his previous home in Seoul's Seocho district following the fallout from his December 3 martial law declaration.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, the raid was connected to ongoing inquiries into alleged ties between Yoon's family and a controversial shaman named Jeon Seong-bae.
Yoon's trial and legal risks
Yoon was first indicted in January, while still in office, on charges of leading an insurrection, a crime not covered by presidential immunity, as the trial remains ongoing.
In a formal statement, the prosecution said, "In parallel with the insurrection proceedings, we have been conducting additional investigations into the abuse of power, leading to this new indictment." However, if found guilty of the insurrection charge, Yoon faces life imprisonment or the death penalty, though South Korea has upheld a de facto moratorium on capital punishment since 1997.
Yoon is now the second president in South Korean history to be removed from office and the third to be impeached by parliament, an indication of the growing political instability surrounding the country’s highest office.
