Ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Indicted on New Charges Over Martial Law Decree

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, 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

South Korea’s former conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol has been indicted on additional criminal charges tied to his controversial imposition of martial law, intensifying legal troubles that began three months ago when he was formally removed from office.

The latest indictments were announced Saturday by the team of independent investigators led by Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk. They extend Yoon’s pretrial detention for up to six months as he awaits trial at the Seoul Central District Court over his December 3 martial law declaration, which triggered widespread political unrest.

Yoon now faces charges of abuse of power for obstructing the rights of certain Cabinet members by summoning only a select few to approve the emergency measure. According to senior investigator Park Ji-young, South Korean law mandates full Cabinet approval for a declaration of martial law, a requirement Yoon sidestepped.

Prosecutors also charged Yoon with falsifying official documents to meet the formal criteria for enacting martial law. The documents were later destroyed in what investigators allege was an attempt to erase evidence of procedural violations.

Yoon had already been indicted on serious charges including rebellion, a capital offense in South Korea that carries either the death penalty or life imprisonment. Following his declaration of martial law, Yoon ordered military and police forces to block the opposition-controlled National Assembly. However, a sufficient number of lawmakers entered the chamber and successfully voted down the decree, leading the Cabinet to revoke it. The National Assembly subsequently impeached Yoon, with even members of his ruling party voting to suspend his presidential powers.

Defending his actions, Yoon claimed his martial law order was a last-ditch effort to rally support against what he described as the "wickedness" of the opposition Democratic Party, which had blocked his legislative agenda, impeached top officials, and cut government funding. He had previously denounced the National Assembly as “a den of criminals” and “anti-state forces.”

Yoon was first arrested by state prosecutors in January, but was temporarily released in March when a Seoul district court judge ruled he could await trial without being held in custody. That changed last week when the court approved a new arrest warrant, returning him to detention.

In April, South Korea’s Constitutional Court officially removed Yoon from the presidency, prompting a snap election. Former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae Myung won the presidency and swiftly signed legislation authorizing an independent investigation into Yoon’s martial law actions and other corruption allegations involving his administration and wife. President Lee appointed Cho Eun-suk to lead the investigation.

In May, prosecutors filed additional charges against Yoon for misuse of authority by ordering military and police personnel to attempt to seal off the National Assembly and election offices—actions deemed outside their legal scope of duty.