South Korea’s jailed ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol was indicted on further charges Saturday amid an ongoing investigation by a special prosecutor into his brief declaration of martial law last December. The additional charges include obstruction of others’ rights through abuse of authority, ordering the deletion of official records, and obstructing the execution of arrest warrants.
Yoon has already been on trial for insurrection, a serious offense carrying possible penalties of death or life imprisonment. The special prosecutor, appointed in June to oversee the case, has expanded the charges as the investigation continues.
The former president has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and his legal team has yet to comment on the newly announced charges. Since early this month, Yoon has been held at the Seoul Detention Center and recently lost a court appeal seeking his release.
This development marks a significant escalation in the legal challenges faced by Yoon, whose brief martial law declaration has sparked intense controversy in South Korea’s political and judicial arenas.