South Korea’s impeached and arrested president, Yong Suk-yeol, was formally indicted Sunday on prices of main an rebellion final month when he briefly imposed martial legislation.
Mr Yohn’s indictment means his trial is more likely to start quickly. It follows the indictments of a former protection minister and several other navy generals and police chiefs, all of whom face legal prices for serving to Mr. Ion commit the identical crime.
He’s the primary president in South Korean historical past to face legal prices whereas nonetheless in workplace.
His decline started when he unexpectedly declared martial law On December 3, accusing the opposition-controlled Nationwide Meeting of “paralyzing” his authorities. The meeting voted the measure down, forcing him to rescind the order after about six hours. But it surely began South Korea’s worst political disaster in a long time.
As folks known as for Mr. Ion’s ouster, the Meeting thwarted him on December 14 by suspending him from workplace. The nation’s constitutional court docket is debating whether or not the parliamentary impeachment was authorized and whether or not he must be formally faraway from workplace. Individually, legal investigators detained Mr. Yon on prices of riot on January 15.
From his jail cell, Mr. Ion vowed to struggle to win again his workplace.
A majority of South Koreans approve of his impeachment and maintain him responsible of revolt, in line with opinion polls. However Mr. Ion’s supporters have known as his impeachment a “fraud.” A few of them shocked the nation after they vandalized a courthouse in Seoul after one in every of its judges permitted a warrant for his arrest on January 19. Almost 60 folks had been arrested in reference to these disturbances.
Prosecutors stated Mr. Ion dedicated revolt in the course of the short-lived imposition of marriage legislation when, they stated, he banned all political exercise and ordered navy commanders to interrupt down the doorways of the Meeting “with axes” or “by taking pictures if is required’ and ‘Drag’ legislators. They stated Mr. Yon despatched the troops there to grab the meeting and detain political leaders.
The nation watched dwell scenes of particular forces troops armed with rifles storming the meeting as lawmakers gathered there to vote towards martial legislation. However Mr. Yon rejected the riot cost, saying he by no means meant to neutralize parliament or arrest political leaders. The troops had been there to “preserve order,” he stated.
Mr. Yohn’s indictment, whereas not a shock, got here ahead of anticipated.
State prosecutors are investigating the previous protection minister and the generals. The nation’s high-ranking corruption investigation workplace is dealing with the revolt case towards Mr. Yon, however by legislation solely prosecutors can cost him.
Mr. Ion refused to cooperate with the investigation; He and his legal professionals insisted the four-year-old workplace had no proper to analyze him.
On Thursday, the Workplace of Corruption Investigation handed over its case to prosecutors. The 2 beforehand agreed that prosecutors had till early February to cost Mr. Yohn, and prosecutors deliberate to additional examine Mr. Yohn’s actions.
However on Friday, a choose in a court docket in Seoul dominated that Mr. Yeon must be arrested or launched early as a result of the Corruption Investigation Bureau had already carried out an investigation.
