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

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.

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's prosecutors indicted suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday on charges of leading an insurrection with his short-lived imposition of martial law on Dec. 3, the Yonhap news agency reported. The decision came after anti-corruption investigators last week recommended Yoon be formally charged.