South Korean prosecutors charged President Yoon Suk Yeol for his failed attempt last month to place the country under martial law, forcing the impeached leader to remain in detention as they build a case against him.

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean prosecutors on Sunday indicted impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on rebellion in connection with his short-lived imposition of martial law, a criminal charge that could incur the death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted.

The charges are unprecedented for a South Korean president, and if convicted, Yoon Suk Yeol could face years in prison for his shock martial-law decree, which sought to ban political and parliamentary activity and control the media.