New Delhi, Dec. 16 -- South Korea's ousted conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol plotted for over a year to impose martial law to eliminate his political rivals and monopolize power, investigators concluded Monday.

Yoon's martial law decree in December 2024 lasted only several hours and resulted in his rapid downfall.

Independent counsel Cho Eun-suk, who announced the six-month probe's result, also accused the former president and his military allies of ordering operations against North Korea, in a deliberate bid to stoke tensions and justify his plans to declare martial law.

Despite the lack of a serious response from North Korea, Cho said that Yoon declared martial law by branding the liberal-controlled legislature as "anti-state forc...