Special counsel additionally indicts ex-Korean President Yoon on charges of aiding enemy

The team, led by special counsel Cho Eun-suk, also charged Yoon with abuse of power in connection with the order, which was allegedly given to provoke the North's retaliation and use it as a pretext for his declaration of martial law in December.

The special counsel team has been investigating various allegations surrounding Yoon's failed bid to impose martial law and previously charged him with obstructing his detention by investigators in January and violating the rights of Cabinet members in the process of declaring the decree.

Separately, Yoon was indicted by prosecutors on charges of leading an insurrection through his martial law bid and has been jailed since July while standing trial.

The special counsel team said it also indicted former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and Yeo In-hyung, former head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, on charges of aiding the enemy and abusing their power in the drone case.

Kim Yong-dae, head of the Drone Operations Command, was also indicted without physical detention on charges of obstructing official duties and soliciting the drafting of false official documents.

In Yoon's case, the special counsel team had reportedly been considering applying charges of inciting foreign aggression, which required evidence he had conspired with an enemy state.

Instead, it opted for the charge of "benefiting the enemy in general," based on its judgment that the drone dispatch in October 2024 led to the leak of military secrets to the North as the vehicles crashed near Pyongyang.

Earlier, it was reported that former Korean President Yoon and his wife were set to appear in court on same day for the first time.