Mobilization of 4,479 Military and Police Personnel During Martial Law... Eye Patches, Handcuffs, and Baseball Bats Prepared
According to the group chat of the Counterintelligence Command dispatch unit obtained by the prosecution investigating the ‘12·3 Emergency Martial Law’ incident on the 27th, there was a message stating a desire to detain using ropes and handcuffs. A notice saying, “All teams should first arrest and transfer to the detention facility (Defense Security Command) the team you see among Woo Won-sik, Lee Jae-myung, and Han Dong-hoon,” was also posted in this group chat.
According to the investigation materials released when former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun was indicted and detained, a total of 4,749 military and police personnel were mobilized that day. A total of 2,466 were deployed to the National Assembly, 69 around the National Assembly (arrest teams for key figures), and 215, 277, and 290 respectively at the Gwanak, Suwon, and Gwacheon branches of the National Election Commission. About 30 personnel were assigned to the arrest team for the Pangyo National Election Commission staff.
Additionally, 112 were mobilized to the Democratic Party headquarters, and 100 to the public opinion polling site. Approximately 1,210 personnel were stationed around the Yongsan Presidential Office and the Presidential Residence. Notably, among the tools prepared by the National Election Commission staff arrest team were awls, cable ties, blindfolds, ropes, baseball bats, and hammers, according to the investigation results.
The Counterintelligence Command group chat also contained orders such as “All teams move to the assembly point,” “Assembly point: National Assembly hydrogen charging station (next to the National Assembly Security Unit),” and “Join with the police at the assembly point, form teams, and immediately carry out the mission.”
The prosecution announced that this martial law met the elements of disrupting the constitutional order and constituted a riot. The prosecution stated, “The president declared an unconstitutional and illegal emergency martial law and mobilized armed military and police to blockade the National Assembly,” adding, “This corresponds to a ‘riot,’ which is an element of the crime of rebellion under criminal law.”
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