Ex-South Korean President Yoon to face trial over martial law attempt

KATHMANDU: Former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is set to face criminal charges on Monday following allegations that he attempted to impose short-term martial law in December.

Yoon issued a decree on December 3 suspending political activities and media censorship, an order that opposition lawmakers argued was an attempt to introduce military rule.

The decree lasted only six hours after a vote by lawmakers.

In response to this unprecedented move, the National Assembly of South Korea impeached Yoon, and following the introduction of the impeachment motion, he was temporarily suspended from office.

On April 4, the Constitutional Court ruled that he must be fully removed from his presidential duties.

Despite having lost all presidential privileges, Yoon still faces charges of insurrection, with criminal proceedings set to commence on Monday.

Earlier, during a preliminary hearing in February, Yoon’s defense team argued that his detention had procedural flaws, a claim that was accepted by the court. As a result, he was released after spending 52 days in custody.

Yoon was arrested in January after speaking out against the police and prosecutors for weeks, becoming the first sitting South Korean president to be detained. If convicted, Yoon could face life imprisonment or even the death penalty.

Last Friday, the 64-year-old former president vacated the presidential residence and returned to his private home in Seoul, where he addressed his supporters. “I now return as a simple citizen of the Republic of Korea, and I will seek a new path in service to our country and people,” he wrote in a statement on social media.

With Yoon’s removal, a midterm election to choose his successor will take place on June 3.

Until then, the country will be governed by Acting President Han Duck-soo.