A special counsel team indicted former People Power Party (PPP) floor leader Rep. Choo Kyung-ho without detention on charges related to ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid last December. Choo is accused of blocking party lawmakers from participating in a vote to lift the decree, while former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn was also indicted for inciting insurrection.
On December 7, 2025, in Seoul, special counsel Cho Eun-suk's investigation team indicted former People Power Party (PPP) floor leader Rep. Choo Kyung-ho without physical detention on charges tied to ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law declaration on December 3, 2024. Choo, once a key ally of Yoon, is accused of deliberately changing the venue of an emergency party meeting multiple times at Yoon's request that night, preventing most of the PPP's 108 lawmakers from joining the parliamentary vote to lift the decree. As a result, only 18 PPP members participated, and the lift passed unanimously early the next morning among the 190 lawmakers present.
The team had sought an arrest warrant for Choo, but a Seoul court denied it last week, citing potential disputes over the facts and insufficient grounds for detention. Choo immediately condemned the indictment in a press release as "unwarranted" and based on "fabricated charges," insisting he received no request from Yoon regarding martial law. He accused the special counsel of political persecution by proceeding despite the warrant denial for lack of substantiation.
In late November, the National Assembly approved a motion for Choo's arrest, as sitting lawmakers enjoy immunity during sessions and require Assembly consent for detention. Meanwhile, the team also indicted former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn without detention for inciting insurrection and special obstruction of public duty following the decree. Hwang, who served under former President Park Geun-hye, posted on Facebook urging the rooting out of pro-North Korea forces and those involved in alleged electoral fraud, and called for the arrest of National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik and then-PPP leader Han Dong-hoon. A court denied Hwang's arrest warrant last month for insufficient explanations on the need for detention.
This case stems from investigations into Yoon's brief martial law imposition, fueling ongoing political controversy.