Female Counterintelligence Commander: "Preliminary Preparations for Counterintelligence Emergency Martial Law Are Not True"

Female Counterintelligence Commander Sends Statement to Ministry of National Defense Press Corps
"Unit Deployed After 1 PM, Did Not Know Martial Law in Advance"
"Counterintelligence Planning for North Korea Operation Is Also Not True"

Yeoinhyeong, the Commander of the Republic of Korea Army Counterintelligence Command, considered a key figure in the 12·3 Emergency Martial Law situation, asserted on the 9th, "It is clearly stated that the Counterintelligence Command did not pre-plan or prepare the martial law at all."

Yeo In-hyung, former Commander of the ROK Army Counterintelligence Command, is attending the full meeting of the Intelligence Committee held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 7th. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Association

On this day, Commander Ye released a statement to the Ministry of National Defense press corps, saying, "The unit was deployed after 1 a.m. It went near the National Assembly and the National Election Commission but then returned," adding, "This indicates that the Counterintelligence Command was not aware of the martial law in advance."

Commander Ye emphasized, "The Counterintelligence Command is very sensitive to martial law due to the trauma from the disbandment of the Defense Security Command following the 2018 martial law document controversy," and stated, "If the commander had known and prepared in advance, everything would have been exposed before it even started," stressing that they did not know about the martial law beforehand.

He also said, "(After the martial law declaration) the series of measures were carried out very cautiously and minimally, which will soon be revealed through investigation."

This was a rebuttal to the claim made by Park Beom-gye of the Democratic Party of Korea that in October, the military sent a drone over Pyongyang airspace and that the Republic of Korea Army Counterintelligence Command planned it practically under the direction of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.

Regarding this, Commander Ye denied, saying, "It is even said that the Counterintelligence Command planned the operation against North Korea, but this is also completely untrue."

He stated, "As the commander, I will take full responsibility for my actions," and added, "Considering the special nature of the military command system, I ask that all responsibility be placed on me for the unit members who had no choice but to follow my orders during the process."

Commander Ye promised, "During the investigation, I will transparently and thoroughly disclose the roles and actions of myself and the Counterintelligence Command in this emergency martial law process," and apologized, saying, "I am deeply sorry for causing concern to the public and the members of the Counterintelligence Command."