Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was rearrested on Wednesday on insurrection charges. Yoon attempted to impose martial law on the country in December.
If found guilty, Yoon could face lifetime imprisonment or execution. Yoon faces five charges, including violating the rights of Cabinet members for meeting with only a select few before launching his coup attempt and forging a false martial law declaration.
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Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-suk requested an arrest warrant for Yoon because officials viewed him as a threat to destroy evidence.
Yoon was arrested in January but released in March on technical grounds. The Seoul Central District Court stated that the agency that detained Yoon before his official arrest lacked the authority to investigate insurrection.
Yoon was impeached, and the National Assembly suspended his powers in December shortly after he declared martial law. The Constitutional Court of South Korea upheld the impeachment in April, formally ousting Yoon from office. Now, the country’s president is the rival party to Yoon’s, and the same Seoul Central District Court issued a warrant for his arrest.
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Yoon declared martial law in December to suppress “anti-state” liberal opponents. After attempting to arrest political opponents and suspend the National Assembly, protesters and legislators eventually successfully overturned the attempted coup.
This legal case occurred when President Donald Trump declared he would impose 25% tariffs on South Korea on Aug. 1. Trade negotiations between the United States and South Korea, longtime historical allies, have been difficult as South Korean leaders refuse to submit to Trump’s demands.