1/ I've obtained the 101-page indictment against President Yoon Suk Yeol detailing the December 3, 2024 martial law incident. He's charged with leading an insurrection (내란우두머리).
Here's a breakdown of the allegations:
Here's a breakdown of the allegations:
https://twitter.com/koryodynasty/status/1886413344841867563
2/ The planning began months earlier. From March/April 2024, Yoon held meetings with military leaders at his safe house in Samcheong-dong discussing "the only way forward is through emergency powers" and "the military needs to step up and take an active role".
3/ After the April 2024 parliamentary elections strengthened the opposition majority, tensions escalated. From end Nov to early Dec, Yoon and defence minister began preparing martial law documents, including proclamations, presidential addresses, and operational orders.
4/ The scale of planned deployment wasn't small: 1,605 armed military personnel and 3,790 police officers. Special forces units were heavily armed. One unit alone carried 1,920 rounds of 5.56mm ammo, 540 rounds of 9mm, and flash-bang grenades.
5/ More units were similarly armed. Another had 23,520 rounds and another had 26,880 rounds prepared. One unit of the Capital Defense Command carried 9 rifles, 9 pistols, 1 sniper rifle with 40 rounds of 7.62mm ammo.
6/ Four main targets were identified: National Assembly, three National Election Commission offices (Gwacheon, Gwanak, Suwon), opposition party HQ, and a polling organisation. Each location had specific military units assigned with detailed tactical plans.
7/ The indictment shows specific preparation orders: Investigation team members were to wear black clothing, soldiers were ordered to store their smartphones, and encrypted phones were used for some communications.
8/ Special arrest teams of 25 members (5 military intelligence, 5 police, 5 military police, 10 security) were formed to arrest + transport targets to a Capital Defense Command bunker detention facility. Equipped with baseball bats, cable ties, blindfolds, ropes, and face masks.
9/ The National Election Commission operation was particularly detailed. Orders weren't just to investigate. Teams were to seize entire servers, prevent staff communication, confiscate phones, and cut landlines. Staff were to be isolated for questioning.
10/ Special forces units had specific orders about election commission server seizure. If they couldn't access data on site, they were to physically remove servers. They were ordered to find "QR code related evidence" of alleged election fraud.
11/ A dedicated interrogation facility was prepared at a specified bunker. Teams had specific questioning protocols about alleged election fraud. The facility was prepared to hold both election officials and opposition leaders.
12/ Media control was another key element. Four major outlets were targeted, understood to be Hankyoreh, Kyunghyang Shinmun, MBC, and JTBC. Written orders called for physical blockades and utility cuts, using fire departments to shut off power and water.
13/ The fire department's involvement was unprecedented: they were ordered to stand ready to cut utilities on command. The indictment shows this order came directly from Yoon through the interior minister to the fire chief.
14/ At the National Assembly, orders became increasingly extreme. Initially, Yoon ordered "four soldiers should carry out each lawmaker one by one". When that failed, he escalated to "break down the doors and shoot if necessary".
15/ The indictment details military units breaking windows to enter the building, confronting security personnel, and climbing walls. Armed troops carrying live ammunition attempted to prevent lawmakers from reaching the main chamber.
16/ The cabinet meeting approving martial law was essentially a sham. No agenda was submitted, no real deliberation occurred, and no minutes were kept. Ministers raising concerns about economic impact and international relations were dismissed.
17/ When some ministers objected, Yoon reportedly said the situation was "irreversible" (돌이킬 수 없다), that if left alone, the "pro-North leftists would ruin the country and neither the economy nor foreign relations would matter".
18/ The chaos peaked when the National Assembly passed the martial law termination vote at 1:03 AM on December 4. Yoon's response was: "Even if it's terminated, I can declare martial law two or three more times, so continue operations".
19/ Defence minister kept trying to redeploy troops even after the termination vote. He only stood down when told further deployment was impossible. Military units remained in position until after 4 AM.
20/ The defence minister told commanders "All military activities from this time are the minister's responsibility. If there's credit, it's yours. If there's responsibility, it's mine. Anyone disobeying orders will face mutiny charges”.
21/ The indictment charges Yoon as leader of insurrection for attempting to destroy the constitutional order through:
- Disable parliamentary functions
- Take over election management systems
- Control political parties
- Nullify constitutional and criminal procedure protections
- Disable parliamentary functions
- Take over election management systems
- Control political parties
- Nullify constitutional and criminal procedure protections
22/ FYI, an insurrection charge (내란) under Korean law means using violence to subvert the Constitution or usurp national territory. As a ringleader (내란우두머리 or 수괴), the maximum penalty is death or life imprisonment.
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