Monday, January 12, 2026

World

South Korea: Court holds first hearing of Yoon's trial on charges of benefiting enemy

IANS | January 12, 2026 01:34 PM

SEOUL: A Seoul court on Monday held the first hearing of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's trial on charges of benefiting the enemy over allegations of dispatching military drones to Pyongyang in 2024.

The hearing took place at the Seoul Central District Court behind closed doors, with Yoon, former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun and Yeo In-hyung, former head of the Defence Counterintelligence Command, in attendance.

Yoon and the two others have been indicted on charges of aiding the enemy in connection with the alleged drone dispatch to North Korea's capital in October 2024, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team believes the alleged dispatch was aimed at inciting the North's retaliation, which could then be used as a pretext for Yoon's martial law declaration two months later.

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