Special counsel additionally indicts ex-President Yoon on charges of perjury

A special counsel team said Thursday it has additionally indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of giving false testimony during former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's insurrection trial.

Yoon, who is already standing trial on insurrection and other charges stemming from his failed imposition of martial law last December, is accused of giving the false impression that the Cabinet meeting he convened before declaring martial law was planned even before Han suggested it.

"We filed charges of perjury over the testimony given by former President Yoon during former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's trial," assistant special counsel Park Ji-young said during a press briefing.

During Han's trial last month, Yoon was asked as a witness whether the then prime minister had proposed convening a Cabinet meeting to make the martial law declaration appear legitimate.

Yoon protested that the question was loaded and retorted, "Cabinet members are not dolls who came to create an outward appearance."

Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team suspects Yoon initially had no plans to hold a Cabinet meeting but changed his mind after Han said it would give his martial law declaration more credibility.