Special counsel concludes Yoon abused martial law powers

It has been reported that the special counsel investigating the alleged insurrection, led by Cho Eun-suk, concluded that former President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Dec. 3 last year with the aim of eliminating his political opponents. The declaration was assessed as an illegal imposition of martial law designed to arrest and detain opposing figures without lawful warrants. Those targeted reportedly included lawmakers from the then-opposition Democratic Party of Korea, as well as individuals such as former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon, who had opposed Yoon’s stance.

Cho is scheduled to personally announce the findings of the investigation on Dec. 15. The announcement is expected to include the special counsel’s conclusions regarding Yoon’s motive for declaring martial law and when preparations for the move first began. The investigation started on June 18 this year and concluded on Dec. 14 after three extensions, ending after six months, or 180 days.

According to the special counsel, Yoon had been considering the imposition of martial law involving the deployment of military forces since around October 2023, following a series of key military promotions. These included the elevation of former Defense Security Command chief Yeo In-hyung and former Army Chief of Staff Park An-su, who later served as martial law commander. The special counsel concluded that in October and November last year, Yoon sought to manufacture justification for declaring martial law by heightening inter-Korean tensions through operations that sent unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, into areas near Pyongyang, North Korea.

Using closed-circuit television footage from the presidential office recorded during the Cabinet meeting held on the day martial law was declared, the special counsel reconstructed in detail the movements of Yoon and key Cabinet members. Former National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong and former Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min were arrested and sent to trial. Arrest warrants sought for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae were denied, however, and both were indicted without detention. In connection with allegations of obstructing a parliamentary vote to lift martial law, an arrest warrant for People Power Party lawmaker Choo Kyung-ho was also rejected, prompting opposition criticism that the investigation amounted to an “excessive and targeted probe.”


고도예 기자 yea@donga.com