South Korea’s former President Yoon Suk Yeol faces another legal hurdle this week. His legal team announced Tuesday that he will show up for a court hearing on Friday in a fresh case tied to his short-lived attempt to declare martial law.
This new indictment from a special counsel team accuses Yoon of abusing his power and blocking others’ rights. It adds to his ongoing trial for leading an insurrection during that chaotic martial law push last year. Yoon has stayed in custody since July and skipped 10 straight court dates in the insurrection case, blaming health problems.
Yoon’s lawyers stressed that he must attend this first hearing for the new charges as required by law. On the same day, the Seoul Central District Court will review his bail request, which he filed last week. He argued it would help him mount a proper defense and address his health issues.
Friday also kicks off a second trial for Yoon on separate counts: violating Cabinet members’ rights and tweaking the martial law announcement after declaring it. The former leader’s martial law bid failed quickly, sparking massive backlash and his ouster.
Meanwhile, special counsel Cho Eun-suk’s team plans to question Yoon next week about even graver allegations—inciting foreign aggression against North Korea. Investigators suspect he ordered the Drone Operations Command to send drones toward Pyongyang. The goal? Spark a North Korean military reaction to justify the martial law move.
This would mark the first time probes grill Yoon directly on these drone claims. Earlier, officials like former drone command chief Major General Kim Yong-dae, ex-Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo, and operations head Lt. Gen. Lee Seung-oh faced questions. They all denied any connection to Yoon’s martial law plot, insisting the drone flights responded to North Korea’s balloon attacks on South Korea.
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