South Korea’s former president orders drone flights to North Korea in martial law plot

Secret drone flights from South Korea to the heart of Pyongyang were part of a ploy by the former president to rattle the North Korean leader, South Korean prosecutors have alleged as they released new details of a plot they say preceded a foiled attempt to declare martial law, CNN writes.

Memos found on a senior defense official’s phone purportedly reveal plans by former president Yoon Suk Yeol and two other senior defense officials to aggravate Kim Jong Un enough to justify a shocking late-night military control order issued last December.

Prosecutors released the evidence on Monday, appearing to confirm North Korea’s claims that South Korea sent covert drones to the country to drop anti-regime leaflets last October.

The Associated Press writes that Yoon set off the most serious political crisis in South Korea’s recent history when he imposed martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, and sent troops to surround the National Assembly. He was later impeached and removed from office, and is in jail standing trial on charges including masterminding a rebellion.