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A South Korean special prosecutor has accused former President Yoon Suk Yeol of attempting to provoke North Korea into an armed confrontation as part of an alleged plot to justify the declaration of martial law in December 2024 and suppress political opposition. The allegations were disclosed by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok during a briefing on Monday, marking a major development in South Korea’s ongoing political and legal crisis.
Cho said his investigative team indicted 24 individuals, including Yoon and five former cabinet ministers, following a six-month probe into insurrection-related charges. According to Cho, the investigation uncovered what he described as a deliberate and long-term plan, allegedly orchestrated by Yoon and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, dating back to October 2023. The plan reportedly aimed to suspend the authority of the National Assembly and replace it with an emergency legislative body under martial law.
The special prosecutor stated that Yoon’s administration allegedly attempted to inflame military tensions with North Korea in order to create a pretext for invoking martial law. Cho claimed that covert drone operations were ordered into North Korean territory, but the plan ultimately failed because Pyongyang did not respond with military action. Without an external provocation, the justification for martial law collapsed, Cho said.
Despite this, Cho alleged that Yoon proceeded to label political opponents, including the former leader of his own conservative People Power Party, as “anti-state forces.” Martial law was declared on December 3, 2024, but lawmakers swiftly voted to nullify the decree within hours. Parliament, then controlled by the liberal Democratic Party, later impeached Yoon for violating his constitutional duties. The Constitutional Court upheld his removal in April, triggering a snap presidential election won by Lee Jae Myung.
Yoon is currently on trial for insurrection, a charge that carries penalties ranging from life imprisonment to the death sentence under South Korean law. His former ministers and senior officials also face multiple criminal charges linked to the failed martial law attempt. Separately, Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, is under investigation for alleged corruption tied to activities before and during his presidency.
Yoon has defended his actions, arguing that the martial law declaration was within his presidential authority and intended to warn the public about what he described as opposition abuse of parliamentary power.
