Officials from the Joint Chiefs of Staff accused of participating in a coup during the martial law declared on December 3, 2024, are expected to be indicted this week.
The second Special Prosecutors' team, led by Kwon Chang-young, plans to indict three individuals: Jeong Jin-pal, former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Kim Heung-jun, former Director of Policy at the Army Headquarters; and Lee Jae-sik, former Director of Operational Readiness Inspection at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on charges related to their involvement in coup-related duties before their detention period expires this week.
They are accused of conspiring with Kim Myung-soo, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to support the execution of martial law by failing to prevent military forces from being deployed to the National Assembly and other locations immediately after the declaration of martial law.
During the investigation, the Special Prosecutors reportedly uncovered evidence that a request to withdraw troops was communicated to Kim after the National Assembly passed a resolution demanding 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 duties, indicating his involvement in the coup. A brief order refers to a concise operational command that conveys changes in unit missions or tactical situations.
The Special Prosecutors detained Jeong and the other two officials on June 15 and have been investigating the related charges. However, the court denied the warrant for Kim, stating that there were grounds for dispute regarding the main charges, and that there was no risk of flight or evidence destruction.
Following this, the Special Prosecutors summoned Kim for additional questioning on June 22. They are expected to indict him alongside Jeong and the others while he remains free.
Since its establishment on February 25, the Special Prosecutors' team has been investigating the allegations of coup involvement by the Joint Chiefs of Staff as its first recognized case.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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