The Special Prosecutors' team has requested arrest warrants for four officials, including Kim Myung-soo, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, over allegations of involvement in insurrection during the military's deployment in December 2023.
On June 9, the second Special Prosecutors' team, led by Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young, announced that they had filed for arrest warrants against Kim and three others: Jeong Jin-pal, former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Kim Heung-jun, former Director of the Army Policy Office; and Lee Jae-sik, former Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Operational Readiness Inspection.
The officials are accused of failing to prevent military forces from being deployed to the National Assembly and other locations shortly after the declaration of martial law, while also participating in the establishment of the martial law command.
During the investigation, the Special Prosecutors reportedly uncovered evidence that a proposal to withdraw troops was communicated to Kim after the National Assembly passed a resolution calling for the lifting of martial law.
Additionally, the Special Prosecutors believe that Kim issued a brief order to the Special Warfare Command and the Capital Defense Command to prioritize martial law operations, which they view as further evidence of his involvement in the insurrection. A brief order is defined as a concise operational directive that conveys changes in unit missions or tactical situations.
Since its establishment on February 25, the Special Prosecutors' team has been investigating allegations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff leadership's involvement in the martial law implementation, designating it as their first major case.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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