South Korea: 12,000 citizens seek compensation from ex-presidential couple over martial law

Seoul, Aug 18 (IANS) More than 12,000 citizens filed a lawsuit Monday against former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, seeking compensation for damages from his imposition of martial law last year.

Kim Kyeong-ho, a lawyer from the law firm Hoin, filed the suit with the Seoul Central District Court on behalf of 12,225 claimants, seeking 100,000 won ($72) in compensation per person from Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee.

The number of plaintiffs could increase, as the suit allows more people to join until it concludes.

The plaintiffs argued Yoon's imposition of martial law in December constituted willful criminal acts against people's basic rights and inflicted irreparable damage to their dignity as members of a democratic society, holding Yoon responsible for compensation.

They also held Yoon's wife as an accomplice who helped trigger Yoon's martial law declaration, arguing she is also responsible for compensation.

"The claimants have effectively requested (the court) deliver a symbolic ruling demonstrating that if public officials commit criminal acts for financial gain, the profits can be confiscated accordingly," the lawyer told reporters.

In the first ruling on similar suits late last month, the Seoul Central District Court ordered Yoon to pay 100,000 won in compensation to 104 plaintiffs for his martial law imposition, prompting a series of similar compensation claims, Yonhap news agency reported.

Yoon appealed the court ruling to a higher court and filed for an injunction seeking to suspend its implementation, which the court conditionally granted.

Earlier in the day, jailed former first lady Kim Keon Hee appeared at a special counsel's office to undergo questioning for the second time, less than a week after her arrest over corruption allegations.

Kim was brought to special counsel Min Joong-ki's office in central Seoul in a prison van to attend the questioning.

The wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol was placed in custody at the detention center in southwestern Seoul last week after a court issued a warrant to arrest her on charges of involvement in a stock manipulation scheme, meddling in candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections and 2024 general elections, and receiving luxury gifts from the Unification Church through a shaman in exchange for business favors.

She was mainly questioned on charges of interference in the candidate nominations from 10 a.m. to 11:42 a.m. and is being questioned about the stock manipulation case in the afternoon, assistant special counsel Oh Jeong-hee said during a press briefing.

--IANS

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