Over 180 Involved in December 3 Martial Law Referred for Investigation and Disciplinary Action

Defense Ministry Announces Results of "Government Innovation Task Force for Respecting the Constitution"

The Ministry of National Defense announced that it has identified more than 180 individuals involved in the December 3 Martial Law and is requesting investigations or taking disciplinary and other measures against them.

Yonhap News Agency

On the 12th, Minister of National Defense Ahn Kyu-baek held a briefing at the ministry headquarters and announced the results of the activities of the "Government Innovation Task Force for Respecting the Constitution" and the "Special Investigation Headquarters on Defense," with this content as the core.

The Ministry of National Defense has identified more than 180 individuals who were directly or indirectly involved in the martial law, and among them, 114 have been referred for criminal investigation or are currently under investigation. In addition, including those overlapping with the investigation targets, the ministry decided to request disciplinary action for 48 individuals and to issue warnings and cautions to 75 individuals. Furthermore, based on previous investigation results, it is proceeding with disciplinary procedures for those who have already been recommended for disciplinary action and those who have been indicted, and to date, serious disciplinary measures have been taken against 35 individuals. In addition, the Special Investigation Headquarters investigated personnel transferred from the Special Counsel for Insurrection and indicted a total of eight people, including three generals and five colonels, at the Seoul Central District Court on charges such as participation in important duties related to insurrection and obstruction of the exercise of rights through abuse of authority.

The Ministry of National Defense stated that through this round of activities it confirmed, among other things, that: ▲ after the National Assembly passed a resolution to lift martial law, the Martial Law Command checked additional deployable units such as the "2nd Rapid Response Division"; ▲ the Defense Intelligence Command conducted prior simulations to occupy the National Election Commission; and ▲ the Counterintelligence Command and the Defense Ministry Investigation Headquarters operated arrest teams and checked detention facilities in order to arrest key figures, including politicians.

Over the past six months, the Ministry of National Defense has mobilized more than 120 personnel to investigate and conduct criminal inquiries into more than 860 individuals, including generals and field-grade officers, belonging to 24 units and institutions where suspicions related to martial law had been raised. The investigation was carried out through interviews with those involved and verification of records, and it examined whether they were directly or indirectly involved in the preparation and execution of the martial law. The ministry then determined the level of measures, such as referral for criminal investigation, requests for disciplinary action, and warnings and cautions, by considering factors including whether the person had decision-making authority, their rank, the timing of their actions, and their specific role.

The Ministry of National Defense added that, for allegations that have not yet been fully uncovered concerning the Counterintelligence Command and the Defense Intelligence Command, which were deeply involved in the martial law but handle classified information and therefore have organizational particularities, the "Dedicated Investigation Headquarters on Insurrection," led by Brigadier General Park Jeong-hoon, head of the Defense Ministry Investigation Headquarters, will continue the investigation.

Minister Ahn said, "Regarding the unprecedented situation of the December 3 Insurrection, I promise that we will do our utmost to the end so that the principle of clear rewards and punishments can be firmly established within our armed forces," adding, "Taking today's announcement as a starting point, we will use this as an opportunity to wash away the stigma tainted by illegal martial law and to rebuild the 'people's military'."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.