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.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached and is now in detention, was indicted on charges relating to his declaration of martial law.

South Korea hit another political milestone on Sunday, as impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol became the country’s first sitting president ever to be indicted.

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.