South Korea’s former President Yoon Suk Yeol was hit with fresh criminal charges on Saturday over his controversial December 3, 2024, martial law declaration, which plunged the nation into political chaos. The Seoul Central District Court will keep Yoon in jail for up to six months as he faces trial for charges including abuse of power and fabricating official documents, following his re-arrest last week.

Independent counsel Cho Eun-suk’s team accused Yoon of bypassing legal protocol by consulting only select Cabinet members to approve the martial law decree, violating South Korean law requiring full Cabinet consent. Senior investigator Park Ji-young also revealed Yoon fabricated and later destroyed an official document to falsely meet martial law requirements.

Yoon’s short-lived decree saw troops and police deployed to the opposition-controlled National Assembly, aiming to block lawmakers from voting it down. Despite his efforts, lawmakers overturned the decree within hours, leading to his impeachment on December 14, 2024, with even some ruling party members turning against him.

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Yoon, a conservative, defended his actions as a desperate move to counter the “wickedness” of the Democratic Party, which he accused of paralyzing his agenda and slashing budgets. He previously branded the Assembly a “den of criminals.” However, his January indictment on rebellion charges—carrying a potential death penalty or life imprisonment—marked him as South Korea’s first sitting president to face such charges.

Released briefly in March due to a procedural error, Yoon was formally ousted by the Constitutional Court in April, triggering a snap election won by Democratic Party leader Lee Jae Myung. President Lee launched independent probes into Yoon’s actions, appointing Cho to lead investigations into the martial law fiasco and allegations involving Yoon’s wife and administration.

In May, Yoon faced additional charges for abusing power by ordering soldiers and police to seal Assembly and election offices—actions beyond their legal duties. As Yoon awaits trial, South Korea remains divided, with his supporters clashing with critics, some even vandalizing a Seoul courthouse in January.

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