Former South Korean president accused of favoring the enemy. Martial law in the background

South Korean prosecutors on Monday accused former President Jun Suk Jeol of favoring the enemy, accusing him of acting to the detriment of the country's military interests. According to investigators, Jun ordered drones to be sent to North Korea to create conditions for declaring martial law.

An investigation into this case was launched in 2025 to determine whether the former president deliberately provoked Pyongyang to then use the North's reaction as a pretext to escalate the conflict.

Park Dzi Jang, a representative of the prosecutor's office, told reporters on Monday that Jun and his associates “conspired to create a situation conducive to the imposition of martial law, increasing the risk of armed confrontation between South and North Korea and harming the country's military interests.”

According to the prosecutor's office, the evidence for this comes from, among others, from the notes of the former head of counterintelligence, who allegedly suggested “creating an unstable situation or taking advantage of an opportunity” to commit a provocation. The records show that the military chose a prominent place, such as Pyongyang, for the provocation, which “would make the North lose face” and force the North Korean authorities to react.

In October 2024, the regime in Pyongyang announced that it had evidence that the South had sent drones over the city to drop propaganda pamphlets there. Authorities in Seoul have not confirmed this information.

Seeking to provoke North Korea is another accusation against the former president. He was previously arrested on charges relating to a coup d'état in connection with the martial law he declared in December 2024; he justified its introduction by the threat from North Korea.

In June this year his place was taken by democratic politician Li Dze Mjung, who promotes a policy of easing tensions with Pyongyang. (PAP)

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