Yoon Denies Directing Martial Law Messages During First Special Counsel Questioning

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was questioned by a special counsel team on June 6, 2026, over allegations that he directed the foreign ministry and the National Security Office to send messages to allies, including the United States, portraying his martial law declaration as legitimate. m. m.

The session marked his first appearance before the team since its launch in February 2026. Though he remained at the office for about six and a half hours, the actual questioning lasted only about two hours. Yoon refused to be questioned by a police officer seconded to the team and demanded that a person with prosecutorial authority be present, according to sources cited by Yonhap.

Investigators focused on his intention behind the messages and the circumstances surrounding their transmission. The National Security Office delivered Yoon's message to the National Intelligence Service the day after the martial law declaration on December 3, 2024.

The National Intelligence Service translated the message into English and briefed it to a CIA official, the special counsel team said.

Yoon reportedly denied the main allegations. "Yoon did not issue detailed instructions to either the NSO or the foreign ministry, nor did he receive any follow-up reports," one of his lawyers told Yonhap after the session. " Yoon was sentenced to life imprisonment by a district court in February 2026 over his failed martial law bid.

A special prosecution investigation has continued into multiple other cases involving the martial law declaration, his wife Kim Keon Hee's alleged corruption scandal and other suspicions. He is being held at the Seoul Detention Center. The special counsel team is led by Kwon Chang-young.