Ex-President Yoon indicted for abuse of power over failed martial law bid

Prosecutors said Thursday they have indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol for abuse of power over his failed martial law bid, marking the latest indictment against the ousted leader who is undergoing an insurrection trial.

The prosecution’s special team investigating the case said Yoon was indicted without physical detention for allegedly abusing his authority and obstructing the exercise of rights as he ordered soldiers and police to block the National Assembly on Dec. 3 last year over his botched martial law decree.

The new indictment comes about three months after Yoon was first indicted Jan. 26 on charges of leading an insurrection — an offense not protected under the constitutional immunity granted to sitting presidents.

At that time, Yoon became the first sitting president in South Korea’s history to be indicted under detention.

Prosecutors had initially refrained from including the charge due to his presidential immunity but decided to indict him for abuse of power after Yoon was removed from office by the Constitutional Court early last month.

A prosecution official said prosecutors have secured sufficient evidence to charge him with power abuse.

Prosecutors requested the Seoul Central District Court handling Yoon’s insurrection trial to merge the new case for joint deliberation.

Yoon is accused of conspiring with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and others to incite an insurrection on Dec. 3 by declaring an unconstitutional and illegal state of emergency, despite the absence of any signs of war, armed conflict or a comparable national crisis.

He is also alleged to have deployed military forces to parliament in an attempt to prevent lawmakers from voting down the martial law declaration.