Defense Ministry to form special unit to investigate Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration

With the special counsel investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration set to conclude on Dec. 14, the Ministry of National Defense announced Monday that it will launch its own investigation.

Armed martial law troops leave the National Assembly, western Seoul, after lawmakers voted to call off martial law on Dec. 4, 2024. [NEWS1]

With the special counsel investigation into the alleged insurrection and inciting foreign aggression charges related to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration set to conclude on Dec. 14, the Ministry of National Defense announced Monday that it will form a special investigation unit to launch its own investigation.

According to the ministry, the new unit, composed of internal prosecutors and military police from each branch of the armed forces, will take over to investigate matters newly identified through tips and other sources, as well as unresolved issues left unaddressed by the special probe counsel.

While the special counsel focused on major allegations related to Yoon's alleged attempt to provoke North Korea to justify the declaration of martial law — such as the infiltration of a North Korean drone into Pyongyang airspace — the ministry’s investigation is expected to focus on potential additional charges and detailed elements of the same case.

“We will carry out the investigation strictly in accordance with the law and regulations,” said a Defense Ministry official.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY JUNG SI-NAE [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]