Illustration of former President Yoon Suk Yeol being questioned by special counsel over martial law justification messages.
Illustration of former President Yoon Suk Yeol being questioned by special counsel over martial law justification messages.
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Ex-President Yoon questioned over messages justifying martial law

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Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was questioned Saturday by a special counsel team over allegations he directed messages to allies to justify his martial law declaration.

Yoon arrived at the special counsel's office in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, around 9:50 a.m. and left at about 4:30 p.m. The session lasted roughly six hours, but actual questioning was limited to about two hours after Yoon objected to a police officer and demanded a prosecutor. Investigators allege Yoon instructed the Foreign Ministry and the National Security Office to send messages to allies, including the United States, framing the Dec. 3, 2024 martial law declaration as necessary to protect democracy and counter pro-North Korean forces. The NSO reportedly passed the message to the National Intelligence Service the next day for translation and briefing to a CIA official. Yoon denied the main allegations. One of his lawyers told Yonhap News Agency that Yoon

What people are saying

Initial reactions on X defend Yoon's martial law as necessary for national security against election fraud and Chinese interference, accuse the special counsel of political retaliation, and call for his release; users argue communications with allies are standard diplomatic practice, not criminal.

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Illustration of special counsel team discovering early 2024 martial law preparation documents by South Korea's Defense Counterintelligence Command, linked to former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
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Special counsel finds signs of martial law preparations since early 2024

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A special counsel team said on May 4 it has found signs that the Defense Counterintelligence Command prepared for martial law since the first half of 2024, well before former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration in December that year. The team is investigating allegations surrounding the ousted president not covered by previous probes.

The Seoul High Court is set to deliver its verdict on Wednesday at 3 p.m. in a live-televised hearing on former President Yoon Suk Yeol's obstruction of justice and other charges. A lower court had sentenced him to five years in prison, a ruling appealed by both Yoon and special counsel Cho Eun-suk, who seeks a 10-year term.

Reported by AI

The Seoul High Court is set to hold the final hearing on Monday at 2 p.m. for former President Yoon Suk Yeol's trial on obstruction of justice and other charges stemming from his brief martial law imposition. The proceedings follow appeals by both Yoon and special counsel Cho Eun-suk against a lower court's five-year prison sentence. Yoon was convicted in January on charges including obstructing investigators and selective Cabinet meetings.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee faced separate trials at the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday over corruption allegations, the second such instance. Correctional officials arranged their appearances to avoid crossing paths, as they did not meet during a similar court date in November.

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