Yoon becomes South Korea's 1st sitting president to be indicted

• He could face life in prison or even the death penalty if convicted of insurrection because presidential immunity doesn't extend to such an offense in South Korea.

The big picture: Yoon denies any wrongdoing over his emergency martial law declaration, which sparked widespread protests and shocked allied nations before he rescinded it hours later.

• Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and other top officials are also facing insurrection charges over Yoon's declaration that the president claimed was to counter "pro-North Korean" elements in the country.
• Yoon was impeached and suspended from presidential duties over his actions and has been in detention since his Jan. 15 arrest following an hours-long standoff between law enforcement and the president's guard and supporters.

What they're saying: "[The] President's declaration of emergency martial law was a desperate plea to the public over a national crisis caused by the opposition getting out of control," Yoon's lawyers said in a statement, per Reuters.

Go deeper: South Korean president hit with travel ban after martial law mayhem