Ex-South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol will on Monday face his first criminal trial for insurrection after his short-lived imposition of martial law in December, which plunged the democratic country into political turmoil.
Newspot recalls that Yoon sought to impose military rule on the country when he ordered the suspension of political activity and the censorship of media on December 3.
The decree was said to have lasted just six hours as it was voted down by opposition Members of Parliaments.
The attempt led to Yoon’s impeachment by the National Assembly shortly thereafter, with the Constitutional Court fully stripping him of his presidential duties on April 4.
Yoon still faces a criminal trial on insurrection charges, which will kick off Monday after losing all presidential privileges.
Yoon’s lawyers, during a preliminary hearing in February, argued that his detention had been procedurally flawed, an argument accepted by the court, leading to his release 52 days after his arrest.
He was detained in January in a dawn raid after holding out against police and prosecutors for weeks, becoming the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested.
If convicted, the recently ousted president could face life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
The 64-year-old former leader on Friday vacated the presidential residence and returned to his private home in Seoul, greeting supporters along the way.
“Now, I return to being an ordinary citizen of the Republic of Korea, and I will seek a new path in service of our country and our people,” he said in a statement.
With Yoon’s removal, South Korea is set to hold a snap election on June 3 to elect his successor.
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