To justify martial law, former South Korean President Yoon tried to provoke North Korea

South Korean prosecutors alleged Monday that former President Yoon Suk Yeol tried to provoke neighboring North Korea into taking military action to justify martial law, local media reported.

Speaking to reporters, special adviser Cho Eun-suk said Yoon and his military commanders tried to persuade North Korea to launch an armed attack against the South, but this failed because Pyongyang did not resort to military force.

After a six-month investigation, Cho and his team indicted 24 people, including Yoon and five cabinet members, on sedition charges.

Earlier this month, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on the 1-year anniversary of Yoon’s short-lived declaration of martial law that North Korea’s sending of garbage balloons to South Korea may have been provoked by Seoul’s actions, but he did not elaborate at the time.

Lee also promised “strict accountability” for the perpetrators behind the failed attempt at martial law; investigations and lawsuits are still ongoing.

In July, Reuters reported It was stated that the special counsel tried to detain the head of the military drone unit amid accusations that Yoon ordered a covert drone operation against North Korea to increase tensions between the two countries.

Cho also said that Yoon is preparing a plan to suspend the powers of the South Korean parliament in October 2023 and replace it with an emergency legislature.

South Korean media outlet Yonha also reported Yoon also tried to portray the April 2024 general election results, which the ruling party lost, as electoral fraud caused by anti-state forces.

2024 election It saw the then-opposition Democratic Party, led by Lee, retain its majority in the National Assembly.

After Yoon was removed from office in April, he was charged with sedition, which carries the maximum penalty of death.

It was reported that South Korean prosecutors also requested an investigation. 15 years imprisonment for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Other senior officials, including Yoon’s defense minister and the former head of the National Intelligence Agency, were also arrested in connection with the attempt to impose military rule.

On December 3 last year, Yoon suddenly declared martial law in a late-night speech before lawmakers, including members of Yoon’s own party, rushed to overturn his decision. Yoon withdrew his decision six hours after his announcement.

The imposition of martial law led to impeachment demands against Yoon, which led to his impeachment on December 14 last year and his dismissal on April 4.