South Korea’s former President Yoon Suk Yeol has been indicted for insurrection, accused of trying to provoke North Korea to consolidate his power.
Special prosecutor Cho Eun-seok said Yoon, five ex-cabinet members, and 18 others were charged after a six-month investigation into Yoon’s 2024 martial law declaration, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.
“To justify martial law, they attempted to provoke North Korea militarily, but failed,” Cho said. The Supreme Court later declared the decree unconstitutional, and Yoon was impeached and jailed.
The plot, dating back to October 2023, involved placing allies in key military posts and removing opponents. Yoon even ordered drone flights carrying propaganda into the North to inflame tensions.
Cho added that Yoon labeled political rivals as “anti-state forces” to justify his actions. Under South Korean law, insurrection carries life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Yoon maintains the martial law was meant to rally public support against opposition attempts to block government functions.