Requested Internal Blueprints for Counter-Terrorism Operations
Cited Need for Facility Access in Official Letter
Also Sought Blueprints from Over 30 National Institutions
Including Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Bank of Korea, Financial Services Commission, and Financial Supervisory Service
It has been claimed that the 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade (1st Airborne Brigade) under the Special Forces Command, which was deployed in the operation to blockade the National Assembly immediately after the declaration of emergency martial law on December 3, sent an official letter requesting internal design blueprints of the National Assembly five months before the martial law, in July of last year.
According to materials received from the Special Forces by Yoon Gun-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea and part of the 'Special Committee for the State Investigation on Charges of Rebellion,' on the 13th, the 1st Airborne Brigade explained in the official letter sent to the National Assembly in July last year that it was requesting the design blueprints, stating, "As the unit responsible for counter-terrorism missions, we request cooperation from each institution to secure internal building design blueprints necessary for carrying out counter-terrorism operations inside the facilities."
In addition, it was confirmed that the 1st Airborne Brigade also requested design blueprints from about 30 national institutions, including the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Bank of Korea, Financial Services Commission, and Financial Supervisory Service. However, all institutions reportedly did not comply with this unusual request.
It is very unusual for the Special Forces to send such official letters. Among the total 92 official letters sent by the Special Forces to public institutions over the past 10 years, the letter sent to the National Assembly or the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) in July last year is the only one. It was also the first time the 1st Airborne Brigade requested design blueprints, and this occurred in July last year.
The 1st Airborne Brigade was the unit deployed in the operation to blockade the National Assembly to prevent the resolution demanding the lifting of the December 3 emergency martial law. According to the prosecution investigation, Special Forces Commander Kwak Jong-geun dispatched 269 troops of the 1st Airborne Brigade to the National Assembly under the orders of former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun. At the time of deployment, Brigade Commander Lee Sang-hyun was investigated to have loaded more than 50,000 live rounds of ammunition onto his command vehicle and transport vehicles.
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