Former South Korean president Yoon indicted for abuse of power over martial law decree

Prosecutors initially held off including the charge due to Yoon’s presidential immunity – something he no longer enjoys

Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol has been indicted for abuse of power over his controversial declaration of martial law in December.

Yoon, who was impeached by the National Assembly and stripped of his power by the constitutional court last month, is already on trial for orchestrating an insurrection by deploying soldiers to the parliament in his ill-fated bid to suspend civilian rule.

Yoon will not be detained while the new indictment is heard but he faces severe penalties if convicted, including life imprisonment or the death penalty.

In January, while Yoon was still president, prosecutors indicted him as “the ringleader of an insurrection”, a charge not protected by presidential immunity.

Prosecutors initially held off on including the charge of abuse of power due to Yoon’s presidential immunity but chose to indict him for it after his removal from office was approved by the country’s highest court last month.

A prosecution official said that they had gathered enough evidence to press the charge, Yonhap reported.

“We have since proceeded with the (insurrection) trial while conducting supplementary investigations into the abuse of power allegation, leading to this additional indictment,” prosecutors said in a statement on Thursday.

Yoon is the second South Korean president to be removed from office and the third to be impeached by parliament.

Meanwhile, South Korean acting president and prime minister Han Duck-soo resigned on Thursday amid speculation over a potential presidential run in the upcoming 3 June election.

A snap election is set for 3 June following Yoon’s removal from office.

Although he did not explicitly announce his candidacy, Han said that stepping down would allow him to take on greater responsibility in addressing South Korea’s security and economic challenges.

Protesters opposed to impeached South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol participate in a rally to celebrate the expulsion of the impeached President (Getty Images)

“Respected citizens, I stand here to deliver my decision on an issue that I’ve been deeply deliberating. I have decided to step down from my roles as acting president and prime minister,” Mr Han said in a televised public speech.

Local media reports suggested Mr Han could announce his candidacy as soon as Friday 2 May, and that a campaign office was being established in Seoul.

His departure and possible candidacy have drawn criticism from the opposition, accusing him of using his public office for personal political gain. The liberal Democratic Party of Korea criticised Mr Han's potential presidential bid, calling it a selfish move that betrays national interests. Representative Kim Min-seok said Mr Han “finally revealed his true intentions”.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s Supreme Court questioned frontrunner Lee Jae-myung’s eligibility for the presidency by overturning a previous ruling that cleared him of violating election law.

The court found that Mr Lee made false statements during his 2022 campaign and sent the case back to the appeals court.