South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was recently impeached for his attempt at implementing martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, has been charged and indicted with insurrection on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. The Constitutional Court has 180 days to decide whether they will formally dismiss or reinstate him. If Yoon is officially removed from office, the state must hold a presidential election within 60 days.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials asked Yoon's prosecutors to indict the president on charges of rebellion, obstruction of the National Assembly, and abuse of power. However, he was only prosecuted on rebellion since all other charges were negated by Yoon’s presidential immunity. Currently, Yoon’s defense minister and several military commanders have been arrested on the same charges for helping him in his plan to declare martial law.

Yoon’s lawyers have strongly defended his decision to declare martial law and expressed disapproval of his indictment. In a statement, they said, “We stress once again that a president’s declaration of martial law can never be rebellion.”

His supporters demonstrated their loyalty on Jan. 19, 2025, when a local court approved a formal arrest warrant to extend Yoon’s detention. Dozens of Yoon’s supporters stormed the building, attacked the police and destroyed property. Officials have detained 46 protesters.

This case has been the first in history that a sitting South Korean president has been charged with a crime. The penalty for insurrection in the country is punishable by life in prison or execution; however, the probability of his death is unlikely since South Korea has not carried out the death penalty in several decades.

Reports say Yoon has been uncooperative in his investigation. When the CIO interrogated the president on Jan. 15, 2025, he was reportedly silent when questioned. A CIO official claimed, “The president did not even invoke his right to remain silent. He simply refused to speak.”

Yoon’s legal team defended his silence by stating that since the CIO did not have jurisdiction over insurrection charges, the president was not obligated to respond and would instead submit a written statement in due time.

Yoon, a conservative member of the People Power party, has consistently defended himself by claiming he decreed martial law due to “shameless pro-North Korean, anti-state forces.” Yet even members of his own party have turned against him by joining the vote to reject martial law. With an approval rating of just 11%, and the event triggering a political crisis for the country for the world to see, one can skepticize the probability of Yoon’s return as president.