The second special counsel team said it has confirmed indications that the Republic of Korea Army Counterintelligence Command began preparing for martial law in the first half of 2024. The disclosure adds to an earlier insurrection special counsel probe that viewed a martial law declaration as planned in advance, and it suggests preparations may have moved beyond planning toward implementation.
Assistant Special Counsel Kim Ji-mi said at a regular briefing Monday afternoon at the special counsel office in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, that the team "confirmed indications of preparations for martial law" during interviews with Counterintelligence Command officials.
The earlier insurrection special counsel team has investigated on the premise that a martial law declaration was not an improvised step but was planned beforehand. It cited, among other points, that military personnel-related notes in a notebook kept by Noh Sang-won, a former commander of the Korea Defense Intelligence Command, were reflected in actual personnel decisions, concluding the idea of martial law had been discussed over a considerable period.
The second special counsel team’s latest findings are being read as signs that concrete preparations may have followed that planning stage. Investigators are now focusing on how the military’s internal chain of command operated during the alleged preparations.
The team is continuing to question related figures to verify the facts surrounding the overall preparation process, officials said.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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