(MENAFN) On Monday, South Korea formally indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol for “benefiting the enemy” in connection with his alleged deployment of drones to North Korea last year.

The special counsel team additionally accused Yoon of abusing his authority, claiming he directed the drone operation in October to provoke a response from Pyongyang and to justify a potential declaration of martial law in December, according to a news agency.

Special counsel Cho Eun-suk, who leads the investigative team, has been probing Yoon’s supposed efforts to enforce martial law.

Earlier, he had been charged with obstructing the team’s attempts to detain him in January and violating the rights of Cabinet members during the martial law decree.

Reports indicate that the special counsel considered charging Yoon with inciting foreign aggression. However, such a charge would have required evidence of collaboration with an enemy nation.

Instead, investigators concluded that the October 2024 drone operation resulted in the exposure of military secrets when the drones crashed near Pyongyang. Consequently, Yoon was charged with "benefiting the enemy in general."

Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and ex-head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command Yeo In-hyung were also indicted for assisting the enemy and misusing their authority.

Additionally, Kim Yong-dae, leader of the Drone Operations Command, faced indictment without detention for obstructing official duties and ordering the creation of false documents.

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