Making history…
On Sunday, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was indicted on charges of insurrection, making him the first sitting South Korean president to face a criminal indictment.
The indictment, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, accuses Yoon of trying to use the military to block members of the National Assembly from voting against the martial law decree and planning to arrest political rivals, among other alleged actions.
Yoon, a hardline anti-communist, claimed that North Korea was attempting to infiltrate and neutralize Seoul, creating a national security emergency that required the imposition of military rule.
During an unannounced TV address In December, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, accusing the country’s main opposition party of sympathizing with North Korea and of anti-state activities. (RELATED: South Korean President Invokes Martial Law)
The martial law status lasted only about six hours as National Assembly lawmakers stormed the legislative floor to vote against the decree. The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea voted unanimously to demand the lifting of martial law. (RELATED: South Korea Parliament Unanimously Demands End To Martial Law Amidst Tense Standoff)
Yoon is currently in police custody after being arrested on January 15 on charges of abuse of power pertaining to his declaration of martial law, according to Breitbart News.
The arrest reportedly took hours as the criminal case was in the hands of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which Yoon and his supporters argued did not have authority to work the case. Yoon’s presidential security service (PSS) prevented the first attempt to arrest Yoon, but the impeached president ultimately relented and went into custody.
After being arrested, Yoon released a pre-recorded video message in which he explained that he feared resisting arrest would lead to “unpleasant bloodshed,” and he considered the CIO’s case against him unconstitutional.
Watch:
“Seeing warrants being issued by agencies without investigative authority, and courts without the authority to review warrants issuing arrest warrants and search and seizure warrants,” Yoon said in the video, “and seeing investigative agencies issuing false official documents to deceive the people, committing such illegal acts, and forcibly proceeding with procedures based on invalid warrants, I cannot help but feel regretful.”
Insurrection can result in either life imprisonment or capital punishment, though the latter is extremely rare in South Korea and no executions have occurred in the country for decades, according to Yonhap. Breitbart noted that the lack of new evidence and Yoon’s resistance to questioning will likely also make the case difficult for the prosecution.
READ NEXT: IDF Soldiers Reportedly Assault New York Times Journalist During Raid on Hamas Member’s Home
Maybe we need an American version of the CIO, to deal with Biden era corruption and lawfare.