South Korea’s special prosecutor has filed additional charges against former President Yoon Suk-yeol, accusing him of abusing power and aiding an enemy state in connection with his brief declaration of martial law last year.
Prosecutors allege that Yoon sought to provoke military conflict between South and North Korea as a pretext for imposing martial law. Evidence recovered from a military official’s mobile phone reportedly contained references to potential provocations against North Korea, including terms like “drones” and “surgical strike.”
Yoon, who was removed from office by the Constitutional Court in April, is already facing trial for insurrection linked to the failed martial law declaration. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. Yoon has maintained that his intent was never to enforce military rule, but to expose wrongdoing by opposition parties and safeguard democracy from what he called “anti-state” elements.
The special prosecutor also charged former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun and former military intelligence chief Yeo In-hyung with the same offenses. Prosecutors claim that Yoon, Kim, and Yeo conspired to incite a North Korean attack to justify the martial law declaration.
According to the investigation, the trio allegedly planned a covert drone operation targeting North Korea to escalate tensions. In October last year, North Korea reported that South Korean drones had dropped anti-regime leaflets over Pyongyang and released photos of the remains of a downed drone. At the time, South Korea’s military declined to comment on the alleged operation.
Kim is already facing trial over the martial law declaration, while Yeo reportedly expressed regret for not challenging Yoon’s orders, though prosecutors said his explanations regarding the mobile phone evidence were unconvincing. — Reuters
