Seoul: A special counsel team has revealed that former President Yoon Suk Yeol began preparations for declaring martial law since late 2023, approximately a year before his unsuccessful bid in December 2024.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Assistant Special Counsel Kim Ji-mi stated in a briefing that the team discovered Yoon's plans for martial law initiation since November 2023 after interrogating former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Kim Myung-soo.

The retired admiral reportedly informed the team last month about a meeting with Yoon on November 29, 2023, during which Yoon questioned whether Kim would comply with any orders he might issue. Yoon allegedly became furious when Kim responded that he would only obey lawful orders.

The investigation, led by Special Counsel Kwon Chang-young, is exploring the possibility that Yoon's comments were part of an effort to enlist top military officials in his martial law scheme. Earlier findings from Kwon's team suggested Yoon's martial law preparations began in the first half of 2024, based on interactions with a military counterintelligence official.

In contrast, a separate special counsel team concluded its investigation last year, determining that martial law preparations commenced before October 2023. This conclusion was based on a notebook owned by a retired general implicated in Yoon's martial law attempt. However, a Seoul court dismissed the notebook as evidence during Yoon's trial for insurrection, leading to his life imprisonment sentence for the failed martial law attempt.