South Korean prosecutors have accused former President Yun Suk-yeol of conspiring to suppress political opposition during his time in office. The allegations center around an alleged scheme to provoke North Korea into military aggression as a pretext for declaring martial law.
According to Special Prosecutor Jo Eun-suk, the investigation, which spanned six months, has led to charges against 24 individuals, including Yun and five members of his administration. The charges relate to alleged involvement in a plot to undermine democratic institutions.
The prosecution contends that Yun began preparations for imposing martial law as early as October 2023, well before the alleged attempt in December 2024. The special prosecutor stated that Yun and his then-Defense Minister devised a plan in October 2023 to suspend the parliament’s powers and replace it with an emergency legislative body.
A key element of the alleged plot involved attempting to lure North Korea into launching an armed attack, which would then be used to justify the declaration of martial law. However, this plan reportedly failed as Pyongyang did not respond militarily.
The prosecution emphasized that historical experience demonstrates that justifications presented by those in power for such actions are often a facade, with the true aim being to consolidate and maintain power. The investigation further alleges that Yun and military leaders under his command issued orders to conduct a covert drone operation over North Korea, purportedly to escalate tensions between the two Koreas.
