The 'Smoking Gun' of Martial Law... Three Suspicions About Former Intelligence Commander Noh Sang-won [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

Police Arrest Former Intelligence Commander Noh Sang-won
Evidence of Behind-the-Scenes Involvement Throughout Martial Law Period

Former Intelligence Commander Noh Sang-won was arrested by the police on the night of the 18th, drawing attention to whether the truth behind the entire ‘December 3 Emergency Martial Law’ incident will be revealed. Circumstantial evidence is emerging that Noh not only drafted the proclamation but also led the military intelligence agency as a civilian.

Yonhap News

According to data submitted by the Ministry of National Defense to Baek Seung-ah, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 19th, a total of about 1,500 troops were mobilized under martial law. They were armed with various firearms, including pistols, submachine guns, and sniper rifles. Among them was the HID, a special forces unit under the Intelligence Command.

Main Missions of the HID During the Martial Law Period

The HID is a unit that handles video intelligence obtained through assets such as the Geumgang reconnaissance aircraft while operating special forces personnel to collect human intelligence. It is known to have subordinate Army Intelligence Units (AIU) located in Gangwon Province and Chungnam Province, as well as Navy Intelligence Units (NIU), collecting intelligence on North Korea through undercover agents. Most of them work in plain clothes. Since there was little risk of exposure outside during the martial law period, it is highly likely they carried out special missions. In the past, they were also deployed on missions unrelated to North Korean intelligence. Representative cases include the 1988 Oh Hong-geun ‘Razor Terror’ incident and the 1997 Heukgeumseong incident.

There are also suspicions that they tried to sway public opinion by playing the role of North Korean soldiers during the martial law process. On the 10th, Kim Byung-joo, a former four-star general and member of the Democratic Party, and Bu Seung-chan, a former ‘operations commander’ and member of the same party, claimed at the National Defense Committee plenary session that HID agents were mobilized on the day of the December 3 emergency martial law and "may have been operated with the intent to incite unrest."

Is It Possible for a Civilian Former Commander to Lead Directly?

It remains a question how former Intelligence Commander Noh, a civilian, could directly lead the HID. From the perspective of former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, a ‘behind-the-scenes’ figure might have been necessary rather than direct command of the HID. This implies that Noh, who came from the intelligence unit, was well-suited for practical work. Although Noh was a reservist, he is known to have influenced military personnel matters based on his friendship with former Minister Kim Yong-hyun and strong connections with current and former Intelligence Command soldiers.

In fact, Colonel Jeong, affiliated with the Intelligence Command, who met former Commander Noh on the 1st before the martial law declaration at a fast-food restaurant in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, testified to the police that Noh said, "How many years do you have left before discharge?" and "Colonel Kim will become a brigade commander first, and then you can take over. I will help you a lot." Colonel Jeong, who had weak military connections and did not expect much promotion, became ambitious after receiving this proposal and agreed to the request to organize YouTube materials related to election fraud.

Are There Additional Civilian Involvements Such as Reserve Groups?

It is also necessary to investigate whether there are additional civilians involved in the martial law besides former Commander Noh. Noh was dishonorably discharged in 2018 for forcibly molesting a female military trainee on Armed Forces Day. Since then, he has been active as a so-called ‘Intelligence Command Reserve Old Boy (OB)’ member.

The organizations where Intelligence Unit ‘OB members’ operate also deserve attention. The Military Intelligence Development Institute, identified as the epicenter of the ‘command insubordination’ incident in August this year, is a representative example. The institute’s first and current chairpersons are former heads of the intelligence headquarters. Directors are also former intelligence unit personnel. It is highly likely that the institute was used as a safe house disguised as a research institute and served as a base for intelligence gathering and covert operations conducted by reservists. The Democratic Party’s ‘Yoon Seok-yeol Insurrection Truth Investigation Team’ also claimed, "Noh Sang-won reportedly formed a second investigation team within the Counterintelligence Joint Investigation Unit separately from the Intelligence Command and led OB members through this organization."

Professor Choi Ki-il of Sangji University’s Department of Military Studies said about the HID, "Because their identities must be strictly concealed, their tactical uniforms are not standardized. Depending on the situation, they may wear North Korean military uniforms, UDT, Special Forces, Airborne Brigade uniforms, or plain clothes," adding, "It seems intended not to exacerbate social chaos but to enable swift and smooth mission execution."