Police officers outside the Seoul Constitutional Court, before the arrival of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for hearings, January 23, 2025. ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP South Korean investigators recommended, Thursday, January 23, the indictment for rebellion and abuse of power of the president, Yoon Suk Yeol, detained and suspended from office, for his failed attempt to impose martial law which plunged the country into a serious crisis. After fifty-one days of investigation, the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), the anti-corruption agency which centralizes criminal investigations into Mr. Yoon, submitted its conclusions to the prosecution. He declared that he had “decided to ask the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office to initiate charges against the current president, Yoon Suk Yeol, in connection with allegations including leading a rebellion.” The prosecution now has eleven days to decide whether or not to launch the requested prosecution. Rebellion is a crime punishable by death. In separate proceedings, Yoon is scheduled to attend the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court on Thursday, during which witnesses will be heard about his coup. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers Political crisis, sluggish consumption, rising unemployment: “South Korea has more reasons for concern than France” Read later A “non-cooperative attitude” of the president On December 3, the conservative leader stunned South Korea by suddenly imposing martial law and sending the military to Parliament to try to muzzle it. He reversed course a few hours later, following a vote by deputies gathered urgently and under pressure from demonstrators. Eleven days later, Mr. Yoon was seized of power by the National Assembly, which adopted an impeachment motion against him, now being examined by the Constitutional Court. After resisting an initial raid on the orders of the authorities, Mr. Yoon was arrested and detained on January 15. An unprecedented fact for a titular South Korean head of state – which officially remains until the decision of the Constitutional Court. Since his placement in pre-trial detention, Mr. Yoon, who says he does not recognize the legality of the investigation targeting him, has continued to reject summons from the IOC. He “consistently maintained a non-cooperative attitude,” Lee Jae-seung, the deputy head of the IOC, told reporters. Mr. Yoon’s security detail “impeded searches and seizures, including access to secure communications devices such as confidential telephones,” Mr. Lee continued. Given the attitude of the dismissed president, the IOC judged that it would be “more effective” to entrust the matter to the prosecution, which is able to indict him. In response, Mr. Yoon’s legal team on Thursday urged the prosecution to “conduct an investigation that respects legal legitimacy and due process.” Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers South Korea: despite the extension of his detention, President Yoon Suk Yeol continues to defy justice Read later In the conclusions of its investigation, the IOC indicated that Mr. Yoon had “abused his authority , forcing the police officers of the National Assembly Guard Unit and the martial law forces to perform tasks that exceeded their obligations.” Le Monde Mémorable Test your general knowledge with the editorial staff of “Le Monde” Test your general knowledge with the editorial staff of “Le Monde” Discover On the night of December 3, Mr. Yoon allegedly ordered the army to storm Parliament and to prevent deputies from voting on a resolution calling for the lifting of martial law. According to South Korean investigators, Mr. Yoon also “obstructed the exercise of lawmakers’ right to demand the lifting of martial law.” Mr. Yoon denies having ordered the army to “take out” MPs from Parliament to prevent them from voting against martial law. He and his legal team are trying to defend the idea that the declaration of martial law was necessary in the face of electoral fraud, the opposition having won hands down the legislative election of April 2024. With an overwhelming majority at stake. in Parliament. Economic growth forecasts falling The Constitutional Court must decide by mid-June whether it confirms the dismissal of the conservative leader or whether it reinstates him in his functions. In the event of dismissal, a new presidential election must be organized within sixty days. The protracted crisis pushed the Central Bank to lower its economic growth forecast for 2025 on Monday to 1.6%-1.7%. Already in the fourth quarter of 2024, GDP growth in Asia’s fourth-largest economy has slowed to 0.1%, its lowest rate of the year. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers The South Korean president surrenders to avoid a “bloodbath” after a muscular intervention Read later Le Monde with AFP Reuse this content
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Author : News7
Publish date : 2025-01-23 08:47:22
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