South Korea’s former acting leader indicted over martial law imposition
Dozens of high-level officials and military commanders of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration have been arrested.
South Korea’s former acting leader Choi Sang-mok was indicted on Thursday on charges related to the brief imposition of martial law in December 2024 by then-president Yoon Suk Yeol, becoming the latest high-profile figure embroiled in legal troubles over the case.
Mr Choi is one of three top Yoon administration officials who were caretaker presidents after Mr Yoon was impeached and removed from office over the martial law declaration that plunged South Korea into massive political turmoil.
Mr Yoon is now in jail while facing a high-stakes criminal trial on rebellion charges.
Dozens of high-level officials and military commanders of the Yoon administration have also been arrested, indicted or investigated over their roles in his martial law debacle and other allegations.
On Thursday, an investigation team led by independent counsel Cho Eun-suk charged Mr Choi with dereliction of duty for not fully restoring the three vacant seats at the nine-member Constitutional Court, which was deliberating whether to unseat Mr Yoon.
Reinstating the court to full strength was seen as a move that could increase prospects for Mr Yoon’s ousting because a court ruling to dismiss him needed support from at least six court justices.
Mr Choi, who was Mr Yoon’s prime minister and finance minister, appointed two new justices but left a ninth justice seat vacant, citing a lack of bipartisan agreement when he became interim president.
In April, the court’s eight justices unanimously ruled to throw Mr Yoon out of office.
Mr Cho’s team also indicted another acting leader, Han Duck-soo, on the same dereliction of duty charge, assistant special prosecutor Park Ji-young told a briefing.
Mr Han, who was Mr Yoon’s prime minister, the No 2 post, was already indicted in August on the graver charges of abetting Mr Yoon’s martial law imposition.
Mr Cho’s team accused Mr Han of trying to push Mr Yoon’s martial law decree through a cabinet council meeting to give it procedural legitimacy. Mr Han has maintained he told Mr Yoon that he opposed his martial law plan.
Ms Park said five other people including Mr Yoon’s justice minister were also indicted on Thursday on various charges related to the martial law crisis.
She said Choi faces perjury charges as well for his comments made at Han’s trial.
Investigations into Yoon’s imposition of martial law was one of three independent counsel probes targeting Mr Yoon, his wife and associates. Those probes were approved by new President Lee Jae Myung, who won an early election in June triggered by Yoon’s ousting.
In August, Mr Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, was arrested and indicted for allegedly violating financial market and political funding laws and receiving bribes.
The 82-year-old leader of the Unification Church, Hak Ja Han, was later arrested and indicted over allegations that she instructed church officials to bribe a senior lawmaker close to Yoon.
The Unification Church-involved scandal has roiled South Korean politics, with local media speculating some prominent politicians, including some at the Lee administration, might also have received money from the church.
