S. Korea probers seek Yoon’s indictment
SEOUL—South Korea’s anticorruption agency on Thursday transferred to prosecutors its case against impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol, recommending his indictment for insurrection and abuse of power over his brief martial law declaration.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) said it would ask prosecutors to indict Yoon over allegations he was the ringleader of an insurrection, for abuse of his authority and obstructing others from exercising their rights.
Yoon, impeached and suspended from power on Dec. 14, has been incarcerated since last week while investigators probe his Dec. 3 attempt to impose martial law—a move that shocked the nation even though it was overturned within hours by parliament.
In prosecutors’ hands
The CIO was launched in 2021 as an independent antigraft agency to investigate high-ranking officials including the president and their family members and has led a joint team involving police and the defense ministry, while prosecutors carry out their own probe.
The CIO can only investigate and does not have the authority to prosecute the president and must refer any case to the prosecutors’ office for further action.
The CIO has said Yoon’s detention is due to end around Jan. 28, but they expect prosecutors to ask the court to extend it for another 10 days before they formally charge Yoon.
