An arrest warrant for Kang Ho-pil, the former commander of the Army's Ground Operations Command, has been denied amid allegations of involvement in insurrection related to the December 3 emergency martial law.
According to legal sources on July 14, Judge Lee Jong-rok of the Seoul Central District Court, who presided over the warrant review the previous day, stated, "There is room for dispute regarding the criminal charges, and considering the progress of the investigation, there is little concern for evidence destruction or flight," leading to the rejection of the warrant requested by the second comprehensive special investigation team, led by Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young.
Kang is accused of being involved in the internal situation room setup at the Ground Operations Command following the declaration of martial law and directing the assembly of crisis response teams and all command staff.
The special investigation team believes that Kang converted the Ground Operations Command into a 'martial law response system,' thus implicating him in insurrection important mission charges.
However, the denial of the arrest warrant has hindered the progress of the special investigation. Previously, the insurrection special investigation team, led by Special Prosecutor Jo Eun-seok, excluded the Ground Operations Command from prosecution, citing a lack of evidence that actual troops were deployed or specific missions were carried out.
Kang, who appeared at the warrant review, reportedly denied the allegations, asserting that he was unaware of the martial law in advance and had no involvement in its execution.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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