South Korea's former President Yoon indicted for 'benefiting the enemy'

ISTANBUL

South Korea on Monday indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol for “benefiting the enemy” due to his alleged dispatch of drones to North Korea last year.

The special counsel team also charged Yoon with abuse of power, saying he ordered the drone dispatch in October to incite retaliation from Pyongyang and use it as justification for his future declaration of martial law in December, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Led by special counsel Cho Eun-suk, the team has been investigating Yoon’s alleged attempt to impose martial law and had earlier charged him with obstructing their attempt to detain him in January and violating Cabinet members’ rights during the martial law decree.

The special counsel reportedly considered charging him with inciting foreign aggression, but it would have required proof of collusion with an enemy state.

Instead, he was charged with "benefiting the enemy in general" after investigators concluded that the October 2024 drone operation led to a leak of military secrets when the drones crashed near Pyongyang.

Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and former head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command Yeo In-hyung were also indicted for helping the enemy and abusing their power.

Kim Yong-dae, head of the Drone Operations Command, was also indicted without detention for obstructing official duties and ordering the creation of false documents.

Separately, Yoon was indicted by prosecutors on charges of insurrection for the martial law decree. He has been in jail since July.