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South Korean investigators call for indictment of detained President Yoon

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South Korean investigators call for indictment of detained President Yoon
News

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South Korean investigators call for indictment of detained President Yoon

2025-01-23 23:21 Last Updated At:23:30

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean investigators asked prosecutors to indict the country's detained President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law last month, as it accused him of rebellion, abuse of power and obstruction of parliament on Thursday.

Yoon defended his actions again Thursday as he appeared at a court hearing for the second time, saying the Dec. 3 martial law decree was only meant to inform the public of the danger of an opposition-controlled National Assembly. He argued that the martial law imposition ended early because he quickly withdrew troops after the assembly voted down his decree.

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Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs reading "Release the president" during a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs reading "Release the president" during a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A vehicle carrying impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A vehicle carrying impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A view of the courtroom where South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to attend the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

A view of the courtroom where South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to attend the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, stands as he attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, stands as he attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, speaks to his lawyers as he attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, speaks to his lawyers as he attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attend a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. The letters read "Support Yoon Suk Yeol." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attend a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. The letters read "Support Yoon Suk Yeol." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, second right, arrives to attend the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, second right, arrives to attend the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

A TV screen shows footage of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A TV screen shows footage of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

“The reason for the declaration of martial law wasn't about a warning to the opposition. I was trying to appeal to the people to draw their strict supervision and criticism of the opposition,” Yoon told a hearing at the Constitutional Court. “No matter how many warnings I would issue to the opposition, they would have been useless.”

Yoon was impeached and suspended by the assembly on Dec. 14. The Constitutional Court is now deliberating to determine whether to formally throw Yoon out of office or reinstate him.

Appearing at the same hearing, Yoon's defense minister at the time of the martial law enforcement, Kim Yong Hyun, supported the president's argument, saying that he drew up the decree and proposed it to Yoon.

Kim, a close associate of Yoon who is also in detention, claimed that Yoon asked him to remove a public curfew from the decree, deploy a much smaller number of soldiers to the assembly than he initially proposed, and prevent troops from carrying live ammunition.

Kim’s arguments couldn't be independently verified immediately. He has previously said all responsibility for the imposition of martial law rests solely with him. He was stopped from attempting suicide while in detention, days after the ill-fated martial law enactment.

Since taking office in 2022, Yoon, a conservative, has grappled with near-constant frictions with the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which has used its majority status at the assembly to obstruct his agenda and impeach some of his top officials. In his announcement of martial law, Yoon called the assembly “a den of criminals” that was bogging down government affairs, and vowed to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.”

Yoon's martial law, the first of its kind in South Korea for more than 40 years, lasted only six hours. Yoon sent troops and police officers to the National Assembly, but enough lawmakers managed to enter the assembly chamber and called for an end to the emergency decree in a unanimous vote.

Yoon and Kim have said that their dispatch of troops and police forces was designed to maintain order. But the opposition and investigative authorities believe they tried to seal the assembly to prevent lawmakers from overturning the martial law decree and plotted to detain some politicians. Yoon and Kim denied that.

Democratic Party spokesperson Noh Jongmyun warned Yoon and Kim not to try to deceive the public, saying the fact that they plotted to bring down South Korea's democracy and constitutionalism won't change. Noh cited live TV footage on Dec. 3 showing troops smashing windows to gain access to the assembly's main building and lawmakers climbing walls to enter an assembly compound.

Earlier Thursday, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, or CIO, said that Yoon, in collaboration with Kim and other military commanders, allegedly committed rebellion by staging a “riot" and seeking to undermine the constitution when he declared martial law. The CIO also accused Yoon of abusing his power by mobilizing troops for an illegitimate purpose and obstructing lawmakers' rights to vote on ending martial law.

By law, the leader of a rebellion can face life in prison or the death penalty. Since being detained by the CIO last week, Yoon has rebuffed efforts to question him. He argues that his detention and investigation by CIO are illegal.

“As you know, despite facing a nationally grave allegation as ringleader of a rebellion, the suspect has been constantly maintaining an uncooperative stance and defying criminal judicial proceedings,” Lee Jae-seung, deputy chief prosecutor at the CIO, told a televised briefing.

Yoon’s defense team issued a statement accusing the CIO of “humiliating” Yoon by trying to pressure him to speak to investigators and abusing his human rights by preventing him from contacting family members.

In his first appearance at a Constitutional Court hearing on Tuesday, Yoon denied that he ordered the military to drag lawmakers out of the National Assembly to prevent them from voting. Commanders of military units that were sent to the assembly have testified that Yoon ordered them to pull lawmakers out.

Yoon’s martial law decree has shaken South Korean politics and financial markets and hurt its international image. Yoon’s subsequent defiance and the opposition’s push to oust him have also intensified South Korea’s already-serious internal divide.

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs reading "Release the president" during a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs reading "Release the president" during a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A vehicle carrying impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A vehicle carrying impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A view of the courtroom where South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to attend the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

A view of the courtroom where South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to attend the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, stands as he attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, stands as he attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, speaks to his lawyers as he attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, speaks to his lawyers as he attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attend a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. The letters read "Support Yoon Suk Yeol." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attend a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. The letters read "Support Yoon Suk Yeol." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Supporters of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stage a rally to oppose his impeachment near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, second right, arrives to attend the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, second right, arrives to attend the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, South Korea, Jan.23, 2025. (Jeon Heon Kyun/Pool Photo via AP)

A TV screen shows footage of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A TV screen shows footage of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

HONG KONG (AP) — Stocks in Asia were mostly down Tuesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on all U.S. imports of steel and aluminum.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index declined 0.87% to 21,335.38, while the Shanghai Composite dipped 0.12% to 3,318.06. Japan markets were closed for a national holiday. Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 in Australia remained largely unchanged and South Korea’s KOSPI was up 0.71% to 2,539.05.

Trump said over the weekend he would announce 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, with more import duties to come later in the week.

Fear around tariffs has been at the center of Wall Street’s moves recently, and experts say the market likely has more swings ahead. The price of gold, which often rises when investors are feeling nervous, climbed again Monday to top $2,930 per ounce and set another record.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slid 82 points, about 0.18%. The S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures respectively fell 0.28% and 0.36%.

But Trump has shown he can be just as quick to pull back on threats, like he did with 25% tariffs he had announced on Canada and Mexico, suggesting they may be merely a negotiating chip rather than a true long-term policy.

Trump has pressed ahead with 10% tariffs on Chinese goods, while China has retaliated by imposing tariffs on U.S. coal and liquefied natural gas products as well as crude oil, agricultural machinery and large-engine cars.

“Beijing’s restraint in targeting only a small sliver of U.S. goods is deemed to be a deliberately less than proportionate response to avert an escalatory tit-for-tat spiral,” said Vishnu Varathan, head of macro research at Mizuho.

“Nonetheless, the reality is that U.S.-China trade tensions are set to structurally ramp-up, even if a negotiated compromise is the endgame for Trump 2.0 tariffs," Varathan added.

The S&P 500 rose 40.45 points to 6,066.44 on Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 167.01 to 44,4701.41, and the Nasdaq composite jumped 190.87 to 19,714.27.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury held steady at 4.50%. The yield on the two-year Treasury, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do with short-term interest rates, fell to 4.27% from 4.29%.

The Fed cut its main interest rate several times through the end of last year, but traders have been sharply curtailing their expectations for more reductions in 2025, in part because of fears about potentially higher inflation from tariffs. While lower rates can give a boost to the economy and investment prices, they can also give inflation more fuel.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell will be offering testimony before Congress later this week, where he could offer more hints about what the Fed is thinking. In December, Fed officials sent financial markets sharply lower after indicating they may cut rates only twice this year.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S crude added 51 cents to $72.83 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 44 cents to $76.31 a barrel.

In currency trading, the U.S. dollar remained largely unchanged at about 151.95 Japanese yen. The euro cost $1.0305, also largely unchanged.

AP Business Writer Stan Choe contributed.

A currency trader passes by a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top center left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A currency trader passes by a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top center left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top center, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top right, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won, top right, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency traders watch monitors at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Currency traders watch monitors at the foreign exchange dealing room of the KEB Hana Bank headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

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