Key Points

According to the Yonhap News Agency, the suit, submitted Monday to the Seoul Central District Court by lawyer Kim Kyeong-ho of law firm Hoin, represents 12,225 plaintiffs, each demanding KRW 100,000 (approx. USD 72) in damages from Yoon and his spouse.

The number of claimants is expected to grow, as the case remains open for additional participants until a final verdict is reached.

The plaintiffs argue that the martial law declaration violated basic constitutional rights and caused severe harm to their dignity as citizens of a democratic society, and further claim that Yoon's actions were deliberate and criminal, carried out at the expense of the public's freedoms.

Yoon's wife, Kim Keon Hee, is also named in the lawsuit as an alleged accomplice, with the plaintiffs asserting that she played a role in influencing or supporting the controversial decision and should also be held financially accountable, as reported by the Yonhap News Agency.

"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, as quoted by Yonhap News Agency.

This wave of lawsuits follows a precedent-setting ruling last month, where the Seoul Central District Court ordered Yoon to pay 100,000 won to 104 individuals in a similar case. Yoon has since appealed the decision and filed for an injunction to halt enforcement of the ruling, a request that the court conditionally approved.

The mass legal action reflects a growing public backlash against Yoon's martial law decision, with critics viewing it as a major violation of democratic principles, Yonhap News Agency reported.

- ANI