Seoul, June 7 (IANS) A court in South Korea is set to deliver its verdict this week on former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s charges of ordering drone incursions into Pyongyang during his tenure as a pretext to declare martial law, officials said on Sunday.
The Seoul Central District Court will hold the hearing for Yoon on Friday on charges that include benefiting the enemy and abuse of authority, according to judicial officials.
Yoon is accused of ordering the South Korean military to fly drones over Pyongyang in October 2024 as a pretext to declare martial law on December 3, the same year.
A special counsel team led by Cho Eun-suk earlier demanded a 30-year prison term for Yoon, reports Yonhap news agency.
Earlier, a special counsel team questioned Yoon on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of rights in connection with messages allegedly used to justify his declaration of martial law.
Yoon arrived at the office of the team led by special counsel Kwon Chang-young in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, for questioning at about 10 a.m. and left around 4:30 p.m. It marked his first appearance before the team since its launch in February.
Yoon reportedly denied the main allegations during the questioning.
Meanwhile, the court is also expected to rule on former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Yeo In-hyung, former head of the Defence Counterintelligence Command, and Maj. Gen. Kim Yong-dae, former chief of the Drone Operations Command.
The former defence minister, who is accused of leading the drone operation at the time, was charged with abuse of authority and destruction of military installations, among others.
The special counsel team claimed the drone infiltration led to heightened military tensions between the Koreas and resulted in the leak of military secrets.
Yoon was sentenced to life in prison for his botched martial law bid in a court ruling in February, in what marked the first ruling on the case.
–IANS
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