Special Counsel Indicts Former President Yoon, Ex-National Security Chief Shin Without Detention Over 'Martial Law Justification' Messages

The 2nd Comprehensive Special Counsel team, led by Kwon Chang-young, which is investigating remaining allegations following the three independent counsels, has indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former National Security Office Director Shin Won-sik without detention on charges of ordering the dissemination of messages justifying martial law to allied nations immediately following the December 3 emergency martial law declaration.

The special counsel team announced today (August 12) that former President Yoon was indicted on charges of abuse of authority, while former Director Shin faces additional charges of participating in an important mission of an insurrection.

Former President Yoon is accused of utilizing officials from the National Security Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to spread messages justifying the emergency martial law to allied nations including the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union (EU) from the day of the emergency martial law on December 3, 2024, through the following day, December 4.

Former Director Shin is accused of receiving such instructions from former President Yoon and conspiring with former 1st Deputy Director of the National Security Office Kim Tae-hyo to transmit the messages.

Previously on July 29, the special counsel team indicted former Deputy Director Kim, who is accused of providing explanatory materials to National Security Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials at the time of the emergency martial law declaration and instructing them to convey the martial law justification messages, and detained him.

The special counsel team explained, "Since former President Yoon is already on trial on charges including being a ringleader of an insurrection for acts of insurrection such as the emergency martial law, he was charged solely with abuse of authority."

(Photo: Photo Joint Press Corps, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.