Special counsel accuses NIS of cooperating in ex-President Yoon's martial law bid

Key facts

• Special counsel accuses the National Intelligence Service (NIS) of actively cooperating in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed 2024 martial law bid.
• The NIS allegedly prepared a list of hundreds of individuals labeled as "security threats" at the time of the martial law declaration.
• The NIS also chose officials to dispatch to the martial law command following Yoon's declaration.
• The special counsel team was launched in February to investigate allegations surrounding Yoon, his failed martial law bid, and his wife.

A special counsel team has accused South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) of actively cooperating in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid in 2024. The special counsel, led by Kwon Chang-young, stated that signs indicate the NIS prepared a list of hundreds of individuals identified as "security threats" around the time of the martial law declaration on December 3, 2024. Assistant special counsel Kim Ji-mi announced during a press briefing that the NIS also selected officials to be dispatched to the martial law command. The team is investigating who ordered the creation of this list, with the former NIS Director Cho Tae-yong being a focus. The special counsel was established in February to examine allegations related to Yoon, his martial law attempt, and his wife, which were not fully covered in prior investigations.