South Korea's ousted President Yoon indicted on additional criminal
charges over martial law
[July 19, 2025]
By HYUNG-JIN KIM
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s ousted conservative President
Yoon Suk Yeol was indicted Saturday on additional criminal charges
related to his ill-fated imposition of martial law, about three months
after he was formally thrown out of office.
Yoon’s additional indictments mean he will remain in jail for up to six
months as he faces a trial at the Seoul Central District Court on his
Dec. 3 martial law declaration that plunged South Korea into huge
political turmoil. Yoon was sent back to prison last week after the
Seoul court approved his arrest warrant requested by a team of
investigators headed by independent counsel Cho Eun-suk.
Cho’s team indicted Yoon on abuse of power that obstructed the rights of
some of his Cabinet members. The charge was imposed because Yoon
summoned only select Cabinet members to approve his emergency martial
law when South Korean law requires approval of all Cabinet members for
such a measure, Park Ji-young, a senior investigator at Cho’s team, told
a briefing.
Park said Yoon was also charged with fabricating an official document in
an attempt to satisfy a formal requirement for a martial law declaration
before he eventually destroyed it.
State prosecutors have already indicted Yoon on other criminal charges
including masterminding a rebellion, a grave charge whose conviction
carries only two sentences — capital punishment or life imprisonment.
After declaring martial law, Yoon sent troops and police officers to the
opposition-controlled National Assembly, but enough lawmakers managed to
enter an assembly chamber and voted down his decree, forcing his Cabinet
to lift it. Yoon was later impeached by the assembly, with some of his
ruling party lawmakers also voting to suspend his presidential powers.
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Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, centerm arrives at a
court to attend a hearing to review his arrest warrant requested by
special prosecutors in Seoul, South Korea Wednesday, July 9, 2025.
(Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)
Yoon has argued his decree was a desperate attempt to draw public
support of his fight against the “wickedness” of the main liberal
opposition Democratic Party, which had obstructed his agenda,
impeached top officials and slashed the government’s budget bill. He
earlier called the National Assembly “a den of criminals” and
“anti-state forces.”
In January, Yoon was arrested by state prosecutors. But in March, he
was released from prison after a judge at the Seoul district court
canceled his arrest to allow him to stand trial without being held
in custody.
In April, the Constitutional Court formally dismissed Yoon as
president, prompting a snap election to choose his successor. After
winning that election, new President Lee Jae Myung, a former
Democratic Party leader, approved legislation to launch independent
investigations to uncover fuller details of Yoon's martial law stunt
and delve into other criminal allegations involving his wife and
administration. Lee named Cho an independent counsel to lead an
investigation on Yoon's martial law decree.
In May, state prosecutors indicted Yoon on charges of abusing power
and forcing soldiers and police officers to try to seal the assembly
and election offices, acts that are not part of their duties.
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