A special counsel team concluded on December 15 that former President Yoon Suk Yeol began preparations for his short-lived martial law declaration in or before October 2023, more than a year ahead of the December 2024 imposition. The investigation resulted in indictments against 24 individuals, deeming the plot an insurrection aimed at eliminating political opponents and consolidating power.
The special counsel team led by Cho Eun-suk held a press briefing in Seoul on December 15, 2025, announcing the results of its 180-day investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law bid. The team concluded that Yoon began preparations for the declaration in or before October 2023, intensifying efforts ahead of a military reshuffle that month—more than a year before the brief December 3, 2024, imposition.
According to the findings, Yoon and his associates planned to deploy the military to halt political activities and paralyze the National Assembly, replacing it with an emergency legislative body to seize legislative and judicial powers. This was aimed at neutralizing opposition forces and monopolizing power, directly contradicting Yoon's claim that the decree protected the nation from a reckless opposition.
The counsel indicted 24 individuals, including Yoon, former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, former National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong, and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. Yoon faced additional charges of obstruction of justice, aiding an enemy, and perjury related to the episode. The team, comprising 238 members, relied on seized notes, memos, and testimonies.
Investigators determined Yoon had referenced his 'emergency powers' repeatedly since early in his May 2022 term, such as at a November 2022 dinner with ruling party leaders where he vowed to 'wipe them all out.' Efforts included provoking North Korea with drones—though without retaliation—and plotting to arrest National Election Commission officials by framing the April 2024 election loss as fraud. Yoon's presidency ended abruptly in April 2025 following the Constitutional Court's impeachment upholding.
