Special counsel indicts ex-President Yoon over messages justifying martial law

A special counsel team indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday, alleging he instructed officials to justify his failed attempt at martial law to the United States and other significant international partners. Special counsel Kwon Chang-young's team charged Yoon with abuse of power in their first indictment against the imprisoned ex-leader.

With this new indictment, Yoon now faces a total of eight trials, related to his martial law imposition in December 2024, his wife's alleged corruption, and other alleged offenses. Prior to Wednesday's indictment, Yoon had been set to stand trial seven times; however, the Supreme Court recently concluded a seven-year prison sentence for his obstruction of investigators attempting to detain him after his martial law bid.

The latest charges concern allegations that Yoon directed the presidential National Security Office and the foreign ministry to send justifications for the emergency order to key nations, including the U.S., Britain, Japan, and European Union members, immediately after declaring martial law. Shin Won-sik, the national security adviser at the time, is also implicated in the latest indictment.