South Korea’s anti-corruption agency, which is leading the investigation into ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law, said on Thursday it will transfer the case to the prosecutor’s office for indictment.
The announcement was made by the deputy head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Level Officials (CIO), Lee Jae-Seung, during a press conference.
The CIO, which does not have the authority to prosecute the president, would request that prosecutors indict Yoon on allegations that he was the leader of an insurrection, abusing his authority and obstructing others from exercising their rights, according to a statement.
“It would be more efficient for the prosecutors, who have to decide whether to indict or not, to collect the data from the investigation so far and conduct additional investigations if necessary to uncover the truth of the case, so we decided to request them to indict (Yoon).”
Lee Jae-Seung
as investigators examined his , a move that shocked the nation, although it was annulled within hours by parliament.
The deputy chief of staff also cited the investigation.
“Despite the fact that the suspect is under serious allegations that he was the leader of an insurrection, he continues to be uncooperative to this day, unresponsive to criminal justice proceedings and refusing to interrogate us.”
Lee Jae-Seung
The CIO was launched in 2021 as an independent anti-corruption agency to investigate high-ranking officials, including the president and his family members, and has led a joint team involving the police and the Ministry of Defense, while prosecutors conduct their own investigation.
