South Korea's former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, is confronting a fresh set of criminal charges, with prosecutors alleging he ordered unauthorised drone flights into North Korean airspace. This latest indictment, announced on Monday, 10th November 2025, accuses the ousted leader of a deliberate plot to escalate tensions on the Korean peninsula.
The Core Allegations: Stoking Conflict for Political Gain
Senior investigators have charged Mr Yoon with abuse of power and benefiting the enemy. They claim his actions significantly increased the "danger of a South-North armed conflict". The prosecution's case centres on the assertion that Mr Yoon sought to create a pretext for imposing martial law, a move he ultimately enacted on 3 December 2024.
That declaration plunged South Korea into a constitutional crisis, marked by soldiers surrounding the National Assembly and violent clashes with protesters in Seoul. Mr Yoon was subsequently impeached, removed from office, and is currently in jail facing a separate trial for masterminding a rebellion.
Evidence and Co-Defendants
Also indicted in the drone case are two of Mr Yoon's top former defence officials: Yeo In-hyung, ex-commander of the military's counterintelligence agency, and former defence minister Kim Yong Hyun. A special investigation team revealed that the alleged drone incursions occurred in October 2024, approximately two months before the martial law declaration.
Senior investigator Park Ji-young stated that memos discovered on Mr Yeo's mobile phone suggested plots to trigger tensions. The memos reportedly contained wording such as "creating an unstable situation", "drones", and "targets like Pyongyang", which were intended to provoke a forceful response from North Korea due to a "loss of its face".
Context and Defence
At the time of the alleged flights, North Korea publicly accused Seoul of sending drones over its capital, Pyongyang, to drop propaganda leaflets, leading to a sharp rise in tensions and threats of a military response. Mr Yoon has consistently denied any intention to impose military rule, maintaining that his declaration of martial law was a necessary measure to protect democracy from what he termed "antistate" elements and opposition party wrongdoing.
Regarding the drone allegations, Mr Yoon's defence team stated in July that he was not informed of the flights. There has been no immediate public response from Mr Yoon, Mr Kim, or Mr Yeo to the new charges.
