S. Korea's special counsel: Ex-president Yoon prepared martial law before October 2023
A special counsel investigation has concluded that former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol began preparing for his controversial martial law declaration as early as October 2023, more than a year before it was imposed in December 2024, Qazinform News Agency reports referring to Yonhap.
Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk announced the findings Monday, following a 180-day probe that led to indictments against 24 individuals, including Yoon, former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, former National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong, and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.
The team determined Yoon staged an insurrection through martial law to remove political opponents and consolidate power, contradicting his claim that the measure was intended to protect the nation from opposition threats.
Evidence showed Yoon had repeatedly referenced his “emergency powers” since the early days of his presidency in 2022.
At a November 2022 dinner with ruling party leaders, Yoon reportedly said he would “wipe them all out” even if he were killed, according to investigators.
Ahead of a military reshuffle in October 2023, Yoon and aides began serious preparations, appointing key figures later implicated in the case to top command positions.
Yoon has been indicted multiple times on charges including obstruction of justice, aiding an enemy, perjury, insurrection, and abuse of power.
Investigators allege he attempted to provoke North Korea into retaliation by sending drones across the border to justify martial law.
He also sought to portray the April 2024 general election, which his party lost, as fraudulent, and plotted to arrest election commission officials during the brief period of martial law.
Earlier a special counsel team additionally indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday on charges of aiding the enemy with his alleged dispatch of drones to North Korea last year.
