Ex-President Yoon's Legal Battle Intensifies: New Detention Request Filed

South Korean special prosecutors intensified their legal pursuit against former President Yoon Suk Yeol by filing a fresh detention request on Sunday. This follows Yoon's recent questioning related to his controversial martial law declaration in December. The former leader stands accused of insurrection, a charge carrying severe penalties.

Prosecutors allege Yoon abused power and obstructed justice. Despite Yoon's legal team's claims of insufficient evidence, prosecutors are pushing to have an arrest warrant granted. The case follows Yoon's short-lived detainment earlier this year, after resisting arrest on related charges.

The legal proceedings add to the political drama following Yoon's ousting by the Constitutional Court in April, post-impeachment. The charges echo a nation grappling with its democratic identity, contrasting its proud history of overcoming dictatorship. As new liberal leadership under President Lee Jae-myung scrutinizes past governance, the tension between legal accountability and political survival unfolds.

(With inputs from agencies.)