Former South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol indicted for abuse of authority

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been indicted by prosecutors on fresh charges of abuse of authority, adding to a growing list of legal troubles that include an ongoing trial for insurrection, Yonhap News Agency reported Thursday.

According to the report, Yoon was indicted without an arrest warrant, and the prosecution has yet to issue an official public statement. Efforts by local media to reach officials for comment were unsuccessful.

The latest charge stems from Yoon’s controversial order to block access to the National Assembly on December 3, 2024, as part of his widely condemned effort to impose martial law—a move that ultimately failed and led to his removal from office.

The special prosecution team said Yoon is being charged with abuse of authority and obstruction of rights after allegedly ordering the military and police to physically prevent lawmakers from entering the Assembly building, in a bid to stop a vote that could nullify his emergency powers.

This development comes nearly three months after Yoon was first indicted on January 26 for leading an insurrection, becoming the first sitting South Korean president to face criminal charges while in office.

Prosecutors initially held off on bringing additional charges due to presidential immunity, but moved quickly following the Constitutional Court’s decision last month to remove Yoon from office.

A spokesperson from the prosecutor’s office stated that investigators had gathered sufficient evidence to justify the latest indictment and have asked the Seoul Central District Court—which is currently handling the insurrection case—to merge both cases for a joint trial.

Yoon is accused of conspiring with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and others to declare a state of emergency without legal grounds, deploying military forces around the National Assembly to block democratic processes in a move prosecutors say amounted to an attempted coup.

Former South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol indicted for abuse of authority