South Korea’s special prosecutor on Monday filed additional charges against former President, Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing him of abusing power and aiding an enemy state in connection with his brief attempt to impose martial law in 2024.
According to a prosecutor’s spokesperson, Yoon sought to provoke a military conflict between South and North Korea as a pretext for declaring martial law.
Evidence retrieved from a military official’s mobile phone included terms suggesting potential provocations against the North, such as “drones” and “surgical strike.”
Yoon was removed from office by the Constitutional Court in April and is already on trial for insurrection over his failed martial law declaration. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
Yoon has consistently maintained that he never intended to impose military rule, saying he declared martial law to “sound the alarm on wrongdoings by opposition parties and to protect democracy from ‘anti-state’ elements.”
Prosecutors allege that Yoon, along with former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun and former military intelligence chief Yeo In-hyung, planned to provoke a North Korean attack on South Korea.
Park Ji-young, the spokesperson, stated, “The trio conspired to create tensions in the country as a justification for Yoon to declare martial law.”
Kim and Yeo face the same additional charges, according to the prosecutor. The special prosecutor’s office has accused the three of ordering a covert drone operation into North Korea to heighten tensions and justify martial law.
In October of last year, North Korea claimed that South Korea had sent drones to distribute anti-North Korean leaflets over Pyongyang, releasing photos of a crashed South Korean military drone.
Despite scrutiny, South Korea’s military declined to comment at the time, and a defense ministry official said Monday that it had no comment on the matter.
Former defense minister Kim is also facing trial over his role in the martial law attempt. Meanwhile, Yeo reportedly expressed regret for not questioning Yoon’s orders.
The prosecutor’s spokesperson added, “Yeo was making excuses that did not make sense about the notes discovered on his mobile phone.”
