On December 15, South Korea's special prosecutor Cho Eun Seok said that former President Yoon Suk Yeol had sought to incite North Korea to take military action in an attempt to declare martial law in December 2024 and eliminate political opponents.
The investigation team has prosecuted 24 people, including Yoon Suk Yeol and five former cabinet members, after six months of investigation on charges of rebellion, according to Cho Eun Seok. He emphasized that historically, the reasons given for coupes have been cover-ups, while the real goal was monopoly and maintaining power.
The special prosecutor said the investigation team had confirmed the existence of a sophisticated plan, allegedly directed by former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun since October 2023. The plan aims to suspend the parliamentary power and replace it with an emergency legislative body.
To create a reason for declaring martial law, the group was accused of trying to incite North Korea to take military action, but the plan failed because Pyongyang did not respond by military means. The prosecution team had previously accused Yoon Suk Yeol and military commanders of ordering a secret drone operation into the North to fuel tensions between the two sides.
After that, according to the special prosecutor, Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol sought to accuse the political opponents, including the then-leader of the People's Power Party, of being anti-national forces, and declared martial law without a just basis.
Mr. Cho Eun Seok is one of three special prosecutors appointed after President Lee Jae Myung was elected in the early election, which came after former President Yoon Suk Yeol was overthrown by the Constitutional Court in April.
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol is currently being tried for rebellion, and could face life in prison or the death penalty if convicted. Former First Lady Kim Keon Hee is also being investigated in a separate corruption case.
