Kim Mo, a retired colonel from the Intelligence Command accused of conspiring with former Intelligence Command Commander Noh Sang-won and others on the day of the December 3 emergency martial law military operation, was arrested on the 21st.
On the 21st, Seoul Central District Court Chief Judge Lee Hoon-jae issued an arrest warrant for former Colonel Kim, who is charged with executing a rebellion. Judge Lee stated there was a "risk of evidence destruction and flight."
Former Colonel Kim is accused of holding the so-called 'hamburger meeting' at a Lotteria in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, two days before the declaration of martial law on the 1st, where he allegedly conspired in advance on the martial law operation with former Commander Noh, Intelligence Command Commander Moon Sang-ho, and Colonel Jeong Mo from the Intelligence Command.
The Joint Investigation Headquarters (Joint HQ), composed of the National Police Agency’s National Investigation Headquarters Emergency Martial Law Special Investigation Unit (Special Unit), the High-ranking Officials’ Crime Investigation Unit (PCC), and the Ministry of National Defense Investigation Headquarters, urgently arrested Colonel Kim on the 18th and applied for an arrest warrant the following day.
Former Colonel Kim did not attend the pre-arrest suspect interrogation (substantive review of the arrest warrant) scheduled by Judge Lee at 2 p.m. that day.
He was dishonorably discharged after being arrested and indicted in 2018 on charges of downplaying and covering up the 'comment manipulation incident' by the National Cyber Command under the Lee Myung-bak administration while serving as the head of the investigation headquarters at the Ministry of National Defense Investigation Headquarters from 2013 to 2014.
The case involving former Colonel Kim was led in investigation and prosecution by President Yoon Seok-youl, who was then the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.
Among those who attended the hamburger meeting, former Commander Noh was arrested on the 18th, and Commander Moon was arrested on the 20th.
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