Ex-President Yoon indicted over ex-defense chief's alleged flight to Australia

A special counsel team said Thursday it has indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol and five other former senior officials over former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup's alleged flight to Australia last year.

Special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon's team has been investigating allegations that Lee fled to Australia in March last year as he faced investigation for allegedly interfering in a military probe into the 2023 death of a Marine.

Yoon is accused of ordering Lee's appointment as ambassador to Australia in November 2023 to allegedly help him evade the investigation, and faces charges of assisting Lee's departure, abuse of power and violating the State Public Officials Act.

The team also indicted former National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong, former First Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin, former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae and two others in connection to the case.

The move comes after the team indicted Yoon last week for allegedly exerting undue pressure on the probe into the Marine's death. The ousted former leader is already standing trial over his brief imposition of martial law on Dec. 3.

The team believes Yoon ordered Lee's appointment to obstruct progress in the investigation surrounding the Marine's death and prevent it from targeting him.

At Yoon's alleged orders, the presidential Office of National Security, the foreign ministry and the justice ministry are suspected to have made arrangements for Lee's appointment and departure.

Four days after his appointment, a travel ban imposed against Lee was lifted, allowing him to leave for Australia soon after. He, however, returned home 11 days later due to mounting controversy over his departure.