Seoul, Jan 16 (IANS): South Korean impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's defence team on Thursday filed an insurrection complaint against the police investigation chief and the head of the anti-corruption agency investigating the President over his short-lived martial law bid.
Yoon's lawyers said they have filed the complaint against Oh Dong-woon, the chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), Woo Jong-soo, chief of the National Office of Investigation, and others, with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors office.
The lawyers accused them of illegally entering the presidential residence, which is a military secret by law, and detaining the president, arguing that this constitutes insurrection, as well as obstruction of official duties and a breach of military secrets.
"They mobilised more than 3,700 police personnel to break into the presidential residence and arrested the President in violation of articles of the criminal procedure law," Yoon's legal team argued.
The Constitutional Court began an impeachment trial on Tuesday to decide on Yoon's fate, Yonhap news agency reported.
Earlier in the day, a Seoul court reviewed the legality of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's detention at the request of his lawyers after investigators took him into custody over his short-lived imposition of martial law, judicial sources said.
The review of the legality of Yoon's detention came a day after the impeached President's legal representatives filed for a petition with the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul after investigators detained him for questioning over his martial law declaration on December 3.
The court has 48 hours to make a decision since receiving the review request by considering the documents from investigators and through questioning. If it finds Yoon's detention unlawful, he will be released from custody.
Meanwhile, South Korea had been thrust into a period of political uncertainty following Yoon's short-lived martial law declaration on December 3, 2024, and his subsequent impeachment on December 14, 2024.