South Korea’s former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has been indicted on additional charges of abusing the powers of the presidency andaiding an enemy state, Yonhap news agency reported.
Yoon faces additional charges related to short-lived imposition of martial law last year
A special counsel team has been investigating Yoon’s short-lived bid to impose martial law in South Korea in December 2024.
The team charged Yoon with aiding the enemy by allegedly sending spy drones to Pyongyang in October last year, in a deliberate bid to stoke tensions and justify his plans to declare martial law.
The team also charged the impeached leader with abuse of power for his decision.
Yoon attempted to provoke a military conflict between South and North Korea in order to declare martial law, Reuters news agency cited the prosecutor’s spokesperson as saying at a briefing.
The spokesperson cited evidence found on a military official’s phone that included some words allegedly pointing to potential provocations against the North, such as “drones” and “surgical strike,” Reuters added.
South Korea’s former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun and former military intelligence chief Yeo In-hyung planned to induce a North Korean attack against the South, the spokesperson said.
Kim and Yeo have also been indicted on the same additional charges that Yoon faces, the prosecutor added.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar
