South Korea’s disgraced former President Yoon Suk-yeol has returned to prison as prosecutors investigate allegations of insurrection. These charges stem from his controversial decision to declare martial law in December. Initially held in a solitary cell at the Seoul Detention Center, Yoon had previously been released on technical grounds four months ago. The court approved a second warrant due to concerns that Yoon might attempt to destroy evidence.
Yoon’s martial law declaration led to months of political unrest in South Korea. He ordered armed soldiers to parliament in an attempt to prevent lawmakers from opposing his decree. Additionally, there are accusations that Yoon authorized drone flights to Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, and falsified official documents related to these actions. The former president claims that his decision to impose martial law was necessary to combat pro-North Korean and “anti-state” forces. However, the Constitutional Court confirmed Yoon’s impeachment, stating that his actions betrayed the people’s trust and violated democratic principles.
Yoon’s current detention follows a seven-hour warrant hearing where he rejected all charges. His legal team argued that the detention request by prosecutors was unreasonable and stated that Yoon no longer holds any authority after his impeachment. If convicted of insurrection, Yoon faces a potential life sentence or death penalty. Although South Korea still has capital punishment on the books, there has been an unofficial moratorium on executions since 1998, with several dozen individuals currently on death row.
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Source: https://www.dw.com/en/south-korea-s-ex-president-yoon-detained-again/a-73221030?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
