The jailed president Yoon Suk Yeol, who had been holed up in his presidential compound for weeks after issuing a martial law decree last month, now faces rebellion charges punishable by the death penalty or life in prison.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea's first leader to face indictment, has plunged the nation into political turmoil. Facing rebellion charges alongside his detained defense team, Yoon's martial law decree has split the populace.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has become the country’s first leader to be indicted, less than two weeks after he was the first to be detained

South Korean prosecutors have indicted the impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his imposition of martial law, Yonhap news agency reported.

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol has been charged with insurrection after he attempted to declare martial law in December. His ill-fated attempt to impose military rule plunged the country into an unprecedented political crisis and he becomes the first sitting president in South Korean history to be charged with a crime.