Seoul: South Korea’s political landscape was shaken on Monday as a special prosecutor’s office formally indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on additional charges, including abuse of power and aiding an enemy state. The charges relate to his controversial and short-lived attempt to impose martial law last year, a move prosecutors allege was part of a broader scheme to provoke military tensions with North Korea.
The special prosecutor’s team claimed that Yoon, alongside former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun and former military intelligence chief Yeo In-hyung, orchestrated a plan to incite a North Korean attack. Evidence reportedly emerged from a military official’s mobile phone, including references to “drones” and “surgical strike,” which prosecutors interpreted as potential provocations intended to justify a declaration of martial law.
According to the indictment, the trio sought to deliberately create domestic tension to pave the way for Yoon’s emergency powers. The charges allege that Yoon and his associates ordered a covert drone operation into North Korean territory, heightening cross-border friction. Last year, Pyongyang accused Seoul of sending drones to drop anti-North Korean leaflets, releasing images of a downed South Korean military drone, though South Korea did not confirm these operations at the time.
Yoon and Kim have denied that their actions were intended to damage South Korea’s national interests. Yeo, meanwhile, expressed regret for not questioning Yoon’s orders, though prosecutors dismissed his explanations as inconsistent with the evidence found on his phone.
The expanded indictment represents a dramatic escalation in the former president’s legal challenges, reinforcing scrutiny of his tenure and raising questions about civil-military relations, executive power, and the handling of national security within a democratic framework. The case has also drawn international attention, as the allegations of inciting conflict with North Korea carry significant implications for regional security and inter-Korean relations.
The special prosecutor’s office may now seek detention for Yoon as the case moves forward, marking a pivotal moment in South Korea’s efforts to hold even the highest office accountable under the law. The trial is expected to be closely watched domestically and abroad, both for its legal ramifications and for the precedent it may set regarding governance, oversight, and the use of emergency powers in the nation.