Ministry of National Defense Investigation Headquarters: "Counterintelligence Unit Requested Investigators but They Did Not Comply"

Military Human Rights Center claims "Investigation Headquarters, accomplice in insurrection"

The Defense Ministry's Investigation Headquarters has been suspected of being involved in the emergency martial law incident. The Investigation Headquarters denied this, stating that although they received multiple requests for investigative support from the Defense Counterintelligence Command, they refused all of them. Later, they dispatched 10 investigators at the request of the Joint Investigation Headquarters, but there was no on-site deployment due to the lifting of martial law.

A representative of the Investigation Headquarters told the Defense Ministry press corps on the 12th, "After the martial law was declared on the 3rd, we received four requests from the Counterintelligence Command for support with 100 investigators, but we judged there was no basis and did not comply."

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

The Counterintelligence Command reportedly requested investigator support consecutively at 10:43 PM, 11:05 PM, 11:28 PM, and 11:52 PM, immediately after the martial law declaration. It is known that these requests were made directly by Yeo In-hyung, the Counterintelligence Command Commander, to Park Heon-su, the head of the Defense Ministry Investigation Headquarters. Commander Yeo and Director Park are classmates from the 48th class of the Korea Military Academy.

However, the official added, "Subsequently, at the request of the Joint Investigation Headquarters staff, we dispatched 10 investigators who were already assigned in the Joint Investigation Headquarters implementation plan at 1:08 AM on the 4th," but also emphasized, "7 minutes later, at 1:15 AM, immediately after the National Assembly's resolution to lift martial law, the investigators near the entrance of the Defense Ministry building were promptly recalled."

They refused the Counterintelligence Command's requests for investigator dispatch but responded to the Joint Investigation Headquarters requests, which were mainly organized around the Counterintelligence Command after martial law was enforced. However, the Investigation Headquarters' position is that no investigators were actually deployed on-site due to the lifting of martial law. Nevertheless, there is criticism that the timing of the investigator dispatch stated by the Investigation Headquarters?1:08 AM on the 4th?does not align with the fact that the martial law lifting resolution had already been made by then.

Earlier, the Military Human Rights Center held a press conference on the same day, stating, "According to multiple reports, after the emergency martial law declaration, Yeo In-hyung, the Counterintelligence Command Commander, contacted Park Heon-su, the head of the Defense Ministry Investigation Headquarters, requesting investigator support, and accordingly, Director Park dispatched military police investigators to the National Assembly." The Center argued that "the Investigation Headquarters, which is a direct investigative agency under former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, is itself a subject of investigation" and insisted that it should be excluded from the joint investigation headquarters.

Meanwhile, the Center has filed a complaint with the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division (the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, or CIPO) against Park Heon-su, head of the Defense Ministry Investigation Headquarters, the head of the investigation situation room, and other related officials for abuse of authority and charges of rebellion. The Defense Ministry Investigation Headquarters is currently part of the joint investigation headquarters conducting a joint investigation into the 'December 3 Emergency Martial Law Incident' along with the police and CIPO.