Special counsel indicts former South Korean president Yoon over messages to U.S., allies after Dec. 3, 2024 martial-law declaration

A South Korean special counsel on Wednesday indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on an abuse-of-power charge over allegations that he ordered officials to send messages to the United States and other partner countries justifying his Dec. 3, 2024, martial-law declaration, according to Yonhap.

The new case, brought by the special counsel team led by Kwon Chang-young, adds to a widening set of criminal proceedings tied to Yoon’s short-lived martial-law move. Its focus is narrower than some of the other cases he faces: prosecutors allege Yoon used state diplomatic and intelligence channels in the immediate aftermath of the declaration to defend the emergency order abroad.

Yonhap reported that the indictment alleges Yoon instructed the presidential National Security Office and the Foreign Ministry to send explanatory messages to key partner nations right after the martial-law declaration. The countries named included the United States, Britain, Japan and members of the European Union, Yonhap said.

Former National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik was indicted the same day on charges of playing a key role in an insurrection and abuse of power, according to Yonhap. The news agency said Shin allegedly carried out Yoon’s order together with his deputy, Kim Tae-hyo, through the National Intelligence Service, South Korea’s main spy agency.

Earlier Yonhap reporting on June 6 said investigators alleged that the National Intelligence Service received Yoon’s message the day after the martial-law declaration, translated it into English and briefed it to a CIA official. The allegations are laid out in the indictment and have not been proven in court.

With Wednesday’s indictment, Yonhap said Yoon is now standing a total of eight trials tied to the December 2024 martial-law episode, alleged corruption involving his wife and other offenses. Yonhap also said South Korea’s Supreme Court last month finalized a seven-year prison term for Yoon in a separate case over obstructing investigators’ attempt to detain him after the martial-law bid.

Yoon’s legal troubles stem from his Dec. 3, 2024, declaration of emergency martial law, a move that triggered a political and legal crisis in South Korea and led to multiple investigations and prosecutions. Kwon’s “second comprehensive” special-counsel team was launched on Feb. 25, 2026, to pursue unresolved allegations linked to the martial-law episode and other matters.

In a separate case, a Seoul court in February 2026 sentenced Yoon to life imprisonment for leading an insurrection in connection with the martial-law declaration. Wednesday’s indictment does not replace those proceedings but adds another prosecution within the broader set of cases already underway.

No fresh response from Yoon’s legal team was included in the Aug. 12 developments cited by Yonhap. In an earlier response to the same investigation, reported by Yonhap on June 6, one of Yoon’s lawyers denied that he had given specific instructions to officials. The lawyer said Yoon “did not issue detailed instructions to either the NSO or the foreign ministry, nor did he receive any follow-up reports,” and “only made a general comment that the government should do a better job of public communication.”