According to reports on August 12, South Korea’s former President Yoon Suk-yeol has been indicted by the second special investigation team on charges of instructing officials to convey the “legitimacy of the emergency martial law” to allies such as the United States, as well as abusing power to obstruct others from exercising their rights. This brings the total number of cases against Yoon currently under trial to 9.
This marks the first prosecution brought against Yoon by the second special investigation team. Meanwhile, former National Security Office Director Shin Won-sik has also been indicted without detention on charges of “engaging in important tasks related to insurrection” and “abusing power to obstruct others from exercising their rights.”
Former President Yoon Suk-yeol (left) and Shin Won-sik (right), photo source: Yonhap News
According to the special investigation team’s allegations, Yoon is suspected of issuing the emergency martial law decree on the night of December 3, 2024, and subsequently instructing Shin Won-sik to direct the National Security Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to convey to allies, including the US, UK, Japan, and the EU, that his martial law measures were justified. Shin complied with Yoon’s instructions, requiring officials from the aforementioned departments to perform tasks beyond their scope of duties.
Currently, including this case, Yoon faces a total of 9 indictments. Among them, in connection with a case involving obstruction of arrest procedures, he was sentenced to 7 years in prison by the Supreme Court on July 9, 2026. That ruling has taken effect, and Yoon is currently serving his sentence.