Investigations and arrests continue after South Korean disgraced ex-President Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed bid to impose martial law.
Published On 12 Nov 2025
A former South Korean prime minister and the country’s one-time spy chief have been arrested in connection with the short-lived imposition of martial law by former President Yoon Suk-yeol in December 2024, local media report.
In separate arrests, former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn was detained on Wednesday on charges of inciting an insurrection, and Cho Tae-yong, the former head of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), was taken into custody for several violations of NIS law, including dereliction of duty, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reports.
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According to Yonhap, Hwang posted on Facebook following the declaration of martial law, calling for the arrest of the country’s National Assembly speaker and for the eradication of those involved in alleged electoral fraud.
Former intelligence chief Cho, once a close confidant of disgraced President Yoon, is accused of knowing and failing to report plans for the imposition of martial law to the country’s National Assembly.
“The NIS Act obliges its director to report to the National Assembly, as well as to the president, if a situation that has a significant impact on national security arises,” Yonhap reported.
Prosecutors said that Cho, a career diplomat, failed to report on plans for martial law, despite “understanding its illegality”. At a hearing on Tuesday, Cho denied all of the charges against him, Y