Special Counsel Finds Evidence of Martial Law Preparations in Early 2024

A special counsel team said Monday it has found signs a military unit was making preparations for martial law in the first half of 2024, well before former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration in December of that year.

Special counsel Kwon Chang-young's team updated reporters on its investigation into allegations surrounding the ousted former president, including his failed martial law bid, which have not been fully covered by previous special counsels.

"(We) have confirmed signs that the Defense Counterintelligence Command prepared for martial law since the first half of 2024," assistant special counsel Kim Ji-mi said in a briefing, citing the team's investigation of officials from the military unit.

She did not elaborate on specific preparations made by the unit.

The team's findings back an earlier argument by special counsel Cho Eun-suk that Yoon had made preparations for his martial law bid well before his declaration on Dec. 3, 2024.

In February, a district court sentenced Yoon to life imprisonment for leading an insurrection through his decree but ruled that the former president had decided to declare martial law only two days before.

It did not accept arguments from Cho's team that Yoon began planning for his short-lived martial law before October 2023, together with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.

Cho's team has appealed the lower court ruling, arguing that Yoon's declaration was not a "spontaneous response."

The Defense Counterintelligence Command is accused of involvement in martial law operations on the night of Yoon's declaration, such as allegedly attempting to send troops to the National Assembly and the national election watchdog.