S. Korea's special counsel concludes 180-day probe into ex-president Yoon, key officials

SEOUL - South Korea's comprehensive special counsel team said Monday that it had indicted 58 people after concluding its 180-day probe into former president Yoon Suk-yeol, his wife and other key officials.

The team of the second special counsel, Kwon Chang-young, who led investigations into leftover martial law allegations and other corruption, indicted seven individuals under detention and 51 without detention.

Yoon was indicted on charges stemming from his directive to spread messages to allied countries justifying his short-lived martial law declaration.

The emergency martial law was declared by Yoon on the night of Dec 3, 2024, but it was revoked hours later by the National Assembly.

Yoon was accused of ordering the dissemination of distorted messages to major allies, including the United States, between Dec 3 and 4, 2024, to validate the legitimacy of the martial law.

Former National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik and former Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo were indicted on charges of conspiring with Yoon to distribute the justification messages.

The special counsel team also indicted former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Kim Myung-soo and former National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong for their key role in the insurrection from Yoon's martial law bid.

Yoon's wife, Kim Keon-hee, was indicted on charges of meddling in a presidential residence relocation in 2022.

Yoon was sentenced to life in prison in February for the insurrection stemming from his martial law declaration and 30 years in prison in June for the general treason relevant to the infiltration of drones into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

He was indicted under detention in January 2025 as a suspected ringleader of the insurrection, becoming the first sitting president to be arrested and indicted.