South Korea's Constitutional Court Advances Review of Yoon Suk Yeol's Challenge to Special Counsel Law
South Korea's Constitutional Court referred a complaint by former President Yoon Suk Yeol to its full nine-member bench for review on April 21, 2026. The complaint challenges a law mandating a special counsel probe into insurrection charges from his 2024 martial law declaration. The case involves examining the law's provisions on counsel appointment and investigative powers.
dailynk.comSEOUL — The Constitutional Court in South Korea referred a constitutional complaint filed by former President Yoon Suk Yeol for formal review by its full nine-member bench on April 21, 2026, court officials said. The referral occurred on Tuesday. Yonhap reported that the case now moves to the Constitutional Court's full bench for formal review of the challenged provisions.
The complaint addresses a law that mandates a special counsel investigation into insurrection charges against Yoon Suk Yeol related to his declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024. The court's review process involves examining the constitutionality of the law's elements in question.
The complaint contests provisions of the law that govern the appointment of the special counsel and the scope of investigative powers. The law was enacted in June 2025. The special counsel investigation into Yoon Suk Yeol's insurrection charges launched in June 2025. The insurrection charges were brought through the special counsel investigation.
A district court sentenced Yoon Suk Yeol to life imprisonment on the insurrection charges in February 2026. Former President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a court session at the Seoul Central District Court in the capital, in this undated file photo provided by the court.
