Seoul: A special counsel team has booked former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on suspicion of attempting to use a military intelligence unit to create a pretext for former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law bid, legal sources said Monday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, special counsel Kwon Chang-young has been investigating allegations that the Defense Intelligence Command (DIC) attempted to push for operations against North Korea to foment inter-Korean tensions and establish a justification for Yoon to declare martial law in December 2024.

The investigation is focused on determining whether anti-North Korea drills conducted by the DIC's covert agents were planned with the intent to provoke Pyongyang, thereby providing grounds for the martial law declaration. Kwon's team contends that the exercise cannot be classified as regular training.

Kim and two former DIC commanders, Noh Sang-won and Moon Sang-ho, have been booked as suspects on charges of benefiting the enemy, as per the sources. The special counsel team also questioned former President Yoon regarding the allegations on June 13.

Earlier this month, Kim was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in orchestrating drone infiltrations into North Korea in October 2024. A Seoul court ruled that these actions were aimed at provoking Pyongyang and fabricating a pretext for Yoon's martial law declaration.