A Seoul court has issued a warrant for the detention of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over allegations related to his involvement in a drone deployment to North Korea in October last year. The warrant was granted due to concerns about potential evidence tampering, as stated by a special counsel team led by Cho Eun-suk. Yoon’s detention, initially set to end on January 18, will now be prolonged by up to six more months, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Yoon faces accusations of orchestrating the drone operation to provoke North Korea’s response and justify the declaration of martial law in December 2024. The special counsel team suspects that Yoon directly instructed the drone commander to dispatch drones to North Korea without informing the defense ministry or the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This marks the third time Yoon has been arrested, with previous arrests linked to charges of leading an insurrection and attempting a martial law declaration.
In a recent development, a Seoul court has consolidated the trials of Yoon Suk Yeol, former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, and former police chief Cho Ji-ho regarding their roles in the failed martial law attempt last year. The court’s decision to merge the trials was based on the similarity of facts and charges related to insurrection. During a trial hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, the bench announced the combination of the trials, involving key figures from the military, defense, and police leadership.
The ongoing legal proceedings involve witness examinations and evidence reviews, with six out of the eight defendants present in court, including Yoon, the former defense chief, and other relevant officials. The court is scheduled to question the former defense minister in the upcoming trial session before proceeding with evidence assessment in the following week.
