South Korea demands prosecution of President Yoon Suk Yeol for sedition and abuse of power

South Korea's anti-corruption agency on January 23 forwarded the case of impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol to prosecutors, recommending his indictment on charges of rebellion and abuse of power related to the imposition of martial law.

President Yoon Suk Yeol during his impeachment hearing at the Constitutional Court on January 21. (Source: Reuters)

The Corruption Investigation Office for Senior Officials (CIO) said it would ask prosecutors to indict Yoon on charges of leading a rebellion, abuse of power and obstruction of public office.

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was impeached and suspended from office on December 14, 2024, has been in detention since last week for investigation into his decision to impose martial law on December 3. The move shocked the nation and was quickly overturned by the National Assembly within hours.

Established in 2021, the CIO is an independent anti-corruption agency that investigates high-ranking officials, including the President and his family members.

The CIO has been leading the investigation into Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol, working closely with the police and the Ministry of National Defense , while prosecutors are conducting another independent investigation.

By law, the CIO has only the power to investigate but not to prosecute the President, so it must refer the case to the prosecutor's office for further action.

The CIO said Yoon's detention will end around January 28, and that prosecutors expect the court to extend it by 10 days before formally charging the president.

The South Korean Supreme Prosecutors' Office declined to comment.

Deputy Chief of Staff Lee Jae-seung said prosecutors should take over the investigation into the impeached president to ensure "effectiveness", especially as Mr Yoon refused to cooperate.

"Faced with serious allegations that the defendant was a ringleader of a riot, he has remained uncooperative to this day, refusing to participate in criminal proceedings and refusing all of our questioning," Lee said at a press conference.

According to Mr. Lee, investigators have collected testimony from several military officials, including accusations that Mr. Yoon had planned to arrest politicians and intended to impose another martial law. However, Mr. Yoon and his team of lawyers have firmly denied these allegations.

Mr. Yoon's lawyers have repeatedly asserted that the CIO has no authority to handle this case, because according to regulations, this agency is only allowed to investigate high-ranking officials and certain violations, which do not include the crime of rebellion.

The team also argued that any criminal investigation into President Yoon should only be launched after the Constitutional Court rules on whether to remove him from office in an impeachment trial.

On January 23, the lawyers reiterated this position, saying they would hold the CIO accountable for the “unlawful” investigation and demand that prosecutors taking over the case follow the law.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/han-quoc-yeu-cau-truy-to-tong-thong-yoon-suk-yeol-ve-toi-noi-loan-va-lam-dung-quyen-luc-301990.html