Yoon plotted martial law to eliminate rivals, probe finds

South Korea’s ousted conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol plotted for over a year to impose martial law to eliminate his political rivals and monopolise power, investigators concluded on Monday.  Yoon’s martial law decree in December 2024 lasted only several hours and resulted in his rapid downfall. Independent counsel Cho Eun-suk, who announced the six-month probe’s result, also accused the former president and his military allies of ordering operations against North Korea, in a deliberate bid to stoke tensions and justify his plans to declare martial law. 

Despite the lack of a serious response from North Korea, Cho said that Yoon declared martial law by branding the liberal-controlled legislature as “anti-state forces” that must be urgently removed.  There was no immediate reaction from Yoon, who is in jail while standing trials for high-stakes rebellion charges. Yoon has steadfastly maintained that his martial law declaration was a desperate attempt to draw public support for his fight against the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which obstructed his agenda. Meanwhile, police raided the headquarters of the Unification Church on Monday as they probe separate bribery allegations against more politicians.

An independent investigation involving Yoon’s wife and the church has been underway for several months. Yoon and his military associates had schemed to enforce martial law since before October 2023 and that they reshuffled top military officials to place their associates in key posts while removing a defence minister who opposed their plan. Cho said they hosted dinner parties to give their martial law plan traction among military leaders. Cho said Yoon, his Defence Minister Kim Yong Hyun and Yeo In-hyung, then commander of the military’s counter intelligence agency, orchestrated various military operations against North Korea from October 2024.