South Korea's ousted conservative president Yoon Suk Yeol faces additional criminal charges after prosecutors alleged he authorised drone flights over North Korean territory to deliberately escalate tensions and create justification for declaring martial law.
The Drone Incident and Martial Law Declaration
According to a special investigation team, Yoon and two of his top defence officials were charged on Monday with benefitting the enemy and committing abuse of power over alleged drone flights that occurred approximately two months before his controversial declaration of martial law.
The political crisis reached its peak when Yoon imposed martial law on December 3, 2024, deploying troops to surround the National Assembly in what became South Korea's most serious political crisis in recent history. The former president was subsequently impeached and removed from office, and currently remains in jail while standing trial for charges that include masterminding a rebellion.
North Korean Accusations and Tensions
North Korea had previously accused Seoul of flying drones over Pyongyang on three separate occasions in October 2024 to drop propaganda leaflets. Yoon's defence minister, Kim Yong Hyun, initially offered vague denials, though South Korea's military later changed its position to state it couldn't confirm whether the North's claims were accurate.
Park Ji-young, a senior investigator working for independent counsel Cho Eun-suk, revealed during a briefing that her team proceeded with indicting Yoon, Kim, and Yeo In-hyung, the former commander of the military's counterintelligence agency, over the alleged drone operations.
The trio allegedly "undermined the military interests of the Republic of Korea by increasing the danger of a South-North armed conflict with the purpose of setting up an environment for declaring emergency martial law," Park stated.
Ongoing Legal Proceedings and Political Fallout
Yoon's successor and liberal rival, President Lee Jae Myung, approved legislation that launched independent investigations into Yoon's martial law declaration and other criminal allegations involving his wife and administration.
In January, state prosecutors had already indicted Yoon for allegedly directing a rebellion - a grave charge that carries either capital punishment or life imprisonment upon conviction. When announcing martial law, Yoon had briefly referenced "threats from North Korean communist forces" but primarily focused on his conflicts with the liberal-controlled parliament, which he described as "a den of criminals" and "anti-state forces."
There have been no immediate public responses from Yoon, Kim, or Yeo regarding the latest charges. However, in July, Yoon's defence team maintained that the former president hadn't been informed about the drone flights.
The case continues to unfold as South Korea grapples with the aftermath of one of its most dramatic political confrontations in modern times.
