South Korea investigators ask prosecutors to indict President Yoon for insurrection and abuse of power
South Korea’s anti-corruption officials requested that prosecutors indict impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol for insurrection and abuse of power over his short-lived martial law declaration.
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s anti-corruption officials on Thursday requested that prosecutors indict impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol for insurrection and abuse of power over his short-lived martial law declaration.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) named Yoon, the first sitting president to be arrested in South Korea’s history, as the ringleader of an insurrection, also involving his defense minister at the time.
The dramatic events of recent weeks have plunged South Korea into a political crisis that has dragged on the economy and raised concerns among allies, including the U.S., about the country’s political stability.
Yoon, impeached and suspended from power on Dec. 14, has been incarcerated since last week pending an investigation into his Dec. 3 attempt to impose martial law — a move that shocked the nation even though it was overturned within hours by parliament.
The CIO was established in 2021 as an independent anti-graft agency to investigate high-ranking officials including the president and their family members and has led a joint team involving police and the defense ministry, while prosecutors carry out their own inquiry.
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