Ex-President Yoon likely chose martial law date to prevent U.S. intervention, according to insurrection probe
Published: 15 Dec. 2025, 12:52
![Former President Yoon Suk Yeol testifies during a martial law trial at the Seoul Central District Court on Nov. 19. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/15/29ce025f-bd82-4aa1-9093-a48f67bda5b9.jpg)
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol testifies during a martial law trial at the Seoul Central District Court on Nov. 19. [YONHAP]
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol likely chose Dec. 3, 2024, as the date to declare martial law to take advantage of the politically unstable period between the U.S. presidential election and the inauguration of a new administration — a time when U.S. military intervention would be difficult, according to the special probe team.
“We cannot definitively state why Dec. 3 was selected as the date of the martial law declaration,” said Park Ji-young, the deputy special counsel in the insurrection probe, during a briefing on the conclusion of the team’s investigation.
“However, in the notebook of former Defense Intelligence Commander Noh Sang-won, there are entries referring to ‘U.S. cooperation’ and ‘advance notice to the [United States].’ Furthermore, former National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong was scheduled to depart for a meeting with the incoming [U.S.] CIA director on Dec. 4, the day after the declaration.”
Park added that “the Yushin Constitution was also proclaimed during a U.S. presidential election period.” The Yushin Constitution refers to the constitutional reform by military dictator Park Chung Hee in 1972 that allowed him to prolong his presidency.
The U.S. presidential election took place on Nov. 5, 2024, about a month before the martial law declaration on Dec. 3 last year. U.S. President Donald Trump's second term began on Jan. 20 this year. The special counsel team believes that the timing exploited a window of transition during which U.S. military base relocations and troop movements were underway, making intervention difficult.
Park also dismissed allegations that shamanistic beliefs had influenced the timing or nature of the declaration, saying, “We found no evidence to support that claim.”
In its final briefing on Monday, the special counsel team reiterated its conclusion that Yoon declared martial law to forcibly suspend political activities and the National Assembly through military intervention, seize legislative and judicial power via an emergency legislative body, eliminate opposition forces and monopolize political power.
The special investigation team, which launched in June and extended its deadline three times, concluded its probe on Sunday after 180 days. A total of 24 individuals, including Yoon, were referred to trial during the investigation.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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