Martial Law Investigation Focuses on 'Gonggwan Meetings' [Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club]

Commander of Garrison Meeting Unit Deployed Without Martial Law Commander’s Knowledge
Investigation Likely Over Possible Prearranged Martial Law Conspiracy

Attention is focused on former Minister Kim Yong-hyun's 'official residence meeting' regarding President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration of martial law. This is because the martial law troops deployed to the National Assembly belong to the units commanded by the commanders who attended the official residence meeting.

President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on the night of the 3rd, and in the early hours of the 4th, martial law troops are attempting to enter the main building of the National Assembly. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

At the National Assembly Defense Committee plenary session on the 5th, Army Chief of Staff Park An-soo revealed that he learned of his appointment as martial law commander from former Minister Kim Yong-hyun around 10:30 p.m. on the 3rd of this month, and that he never ordered the deployment of martial law troops to the National Assembly or the Central Election Commission. Although Park An-soo was appointed as the martial law commander, he was not deeply involved in the preparation or command of the martial law declaration.

The Commander of the Official Residence Meeting is the Commander of the Martial Law Troops

Immediately after the declaration of martial law, it is reported that about 280 troops were deployed to the National Assembly, including the 707th Special Mission Group under the Army Special Warfare Command, the 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade, the Special Operations Aviation Group, and the Military Police Special Duty Team (SDT) of the Army Capital Defense Command. Soldiers belonging to the Defense Counterintelligence Command were also aboard the helicopters carrying the martial law troops deployed to the National Assembly. While Chief Park was unaware of the movement of martial law troops as the martial law commander, preparations for the deployment of martial law troops to the National Assembly were already underway in the Special Warfare Command and the Capital Defense Command. In fact, members of the Special Warfare Command had been on high alert since the 2nd of this month, and helicopter mobilization was also being prepared.

The commanders of the martial law troops deployed to the National Assembly are Yeoin-hyung, Commander of the Defense Counterintelligence Command (Korea Military Academy Class of 48), Kwak Jong-geun, Commander of the Special Warfare Command (KMA Class of 47), and Lee Jin-woo, Commander of the Capital Defense Command (KMA Class of 48). All of them attended the official residence meeting. They were promoted from Army Brigadier General to Lieutenant General in the general officer personnel reshuffle on November 6 last year and assumed their current positions. This has led to criticism that it was a 'general personnel reshuffle' for martial law.

Airborne Brigade Commanders and Special Mission Unit Commanders Also Subject to Investigation

They also did not attend the National Assembly Defense Committee. Former Minister Kim, who resigned on the 4th, blocked the attendance of these commanders when the National Assembly Defense Committee requested their presence at the plenary session for urgent inquiries related to martial law the day before, saying, "Only Park and I need to go." He himself did not attend the plenary session as his resignation was accepted before the session.

In addition to the official residence meeting, it appears that Lee Sang-hyun, Commander of the 1st Airborne Brigade of the Special Warfare Command (KMA Class of 50, Brigadier General), Kim Jeong-geun, Commander of the 3rd Airborne Brigade (KMA Class of 52, Brigadier General), and Kim Hyun-tae, Commander of the 707 Special Mission Unit (KMA Class of 57, Colonel) will also be subject to investigation. On the 4th, the Democratic Party's Legal Committee filed a complaint with the National Investigation Headquarters against President Yoon Suk-yeol, former Minister Kim, Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho, Chief Park, and the three commanders for violating Article 87 of the Criminal Act on treason. If the National Investigation Headquarters' investigation intensifies, it is expected that an inspection will be conducted through them regarding whether there was any 'prior conspiracy' about martial law.

Kim Seon-ho, Deputy Minister of National Defense (Acting Minister), said at the Defense Committee plenary session the day before that if it is judged that these commanders are currently in a position where it is difficult to perform their duties, appropriate measures will be taken accordingly.