Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol rearrested

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been rearrested in connection with his controversial attempt to impose martial law last year, a move that led to his impeachment and threw the country into political chaos.

A senior judge at Seoul Central District Court approved the arrest warrant on Wednesday, citing concerns that Yoon may attempt to destroy evidence related to the case.

Yoon, who was impeached in April and removed from office, is accused of leading an insurrection during a six-hour imposition of martial law in December. Prosecutors allege he bypassed cabinet procedures and orchestrated the military takeover without proper legal or institutional checks.

The former president appeared at a seven-hour court hearing earlier in the day, where a special counsel team laid out five charges against him. Among them was the claim that Yoon violated the rights of cabinet members by excluding several ministers from a key meeting ahead of the martial law declaration. He initially denied all charges but was transferred to Seoul Detention Center to await the court’s decision.

This marks Yoon’s second arrest in the case. He was first detained in January after a dramatic standoff in central Seoul, during which investigators forcibly entered his residence, cutting through barbed wire and barricades. That arrest was later overturned on procedural grounds, and Yoon was released in March.

However, the investigation continued. According to local media reports, prosecutors have uncovered evidence that Yoon ordered military drones to fly over North Korea, allegedly to provoke a hostile response that could be used to justify martial law.

If convicted of leading an insurrection, Yoon could face life imprisonment or even the death penalty, one of the few crimes for which South Korean presidents do not enjoy legal immunity, even while in office.

Several of Yoon’s former aides and senior officials are also under investigation for their roles in the failed military maneuver, facing charges that include insurrection and abuse of power.

Yoon's successor, President Lee Jae-myung, was elected in June in a snap election following Yoon’s impeachment. Lee ran on a platform promising to restore democratic norms and transparency, and he swiftly appointed a special counsel to investigate Yoon’s martial law declaration and other alleged abuses during his administration.