Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached and jailed earlier this year, has been hit with new charges of aiding an enemy state and provoking military conflict, prosecutors confirmed on Monday.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, investigators allege that Yoon, 64, secretly ordered the deployment of military drones into North Korean airspace in October 2024, an act that resulted in the leak of classified information after several drones crashed near Pyongyang.
Prosecutors claim Yoon’s actions were part of a calculated attempt to justify a declaration of martial law in South Korea — a move he made later that year in a bid to consolidate power amid growing domestic opposition.
The former conservative leader, who has been in pre-trial detention for months, already faces high treason charges, which carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Yoon’s declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024, threw South Korea into political turmoil. He had claimed the opposition was infiltrated by “anti-state and communist forces,” though he failed to provide evidence. The decree was swiftly overturned, and he was removed from office in April 2025 following impeachment proceedings.
His downfall paved the way for Lee Jae Myung, a left-leaning politician, to win an early presidential election held in June 2025.
The latest charge further deepens the scandal surrounding Yoon’s presidency, marking one of the most dramatic political collapses in South Korea’s recent history.
