Key facts
- The Supreme Court will rule on July 9 on charges that Yoon Suk Yeol obstructed justice.
- A special counsel indicted Kim Myung-soo, former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, over alleged involvement in a martial law declaration.
- Investigators allege Kim Myung-soo was aware the martial law bid was unlawful and failed to act appropriately.
- Kim Myung-soo's side claims he was sidelined from decision-making procedures.
- Three other individuals were indicted for alleged involvement in the martial law bid.
South Korea's Supreme Court is scheduled to rule on July 9 regarding charges that former President Yoon Suk Yeol obstructed justice by allegedly blocking investigators. This ruling pertains to events in 2025.
In a separate development, a special counsel team has indicted Kim Myung-soo, the former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), over his alleged role in a martial law declaration on December 3, 2024. Special counsel Kwon Chang-young's team indicted Kim without detention, alleging he played a key role in the declaration when he was the nation's highest-ranking military officer.
Investigators contend that Kim Myung-soo took no action as martial law troops moved into the National Assembly and that he assisted in setting up a martial law command. They argue he was aware at the time that the martial law bid and troop deployment were unlawful and failed to act appropriately given his position. Testimony obtained by the team indicated that Kim's aides and legal experts had warned him multiple times about procedural flaws and the need to withdraw troops from the National Assembly.
Kim Myung-soo's side has denied the allegations, asserting that then-Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun assumed control of the martial law troops after Yoon's declaration, effectively sidelining Kim Myung-soo from decision-making. The special counsel team also indicted three other individuals, including Lee Jae-sik, former deputy chief of the JCS Combat Readiness Inspection Office, for their alleged involvement in the martial law bid.