Prosecutors Investigate 707 Special Task Force Chief as Suspect... "Unit Member Heard 'Pull Him Out'"

The prosecution summoned Kim Hyun-tae, commander of the 707 Special Mission Group of the Army Special Warfare Command, who led the martial law troops deployed to the National Assembly during the December 3 martial law, for questioning as a suspect.

Kim Hyuntae, Commander of the 707 Special Mission Group of the Army Special Warfare Command, is taking the witness oath at the 6th hearing of President Yoon Seok-yeol's impeachment trial held at the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul on February 6, 2025. Photo by the Constitutional Court

According to the legal community on the 13th, the Prosecution's Special Investigation Headquarters on Martial Law (headed by Park Se-hyun, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office) summoned Commander Kim on the 9th for questioning as a suspect on charges of performing important duties. The prosecution had previously questioned Commander Kim as a witness in December last year, and later converted his status to suspect, questioning him twice in total.

Commander Kim led the martial law troops deployed to the National Assembly on-site immediately after the declaration of martial law. On the 6th, he appeared as a witness in the impeachment trial of Yoon Seok-yeol and testified in response to the question, "Did you receive orders to pull out members of the National Assembly?" that "There was no such order, and even if there had been, it would not have been carried out."

It is reported that Commander Kim also stated during this prosecution investigation that he did not directly receive orders to pull out members of the National Assembly from the main building of the National Assembly. However, he reportedly testified that he heard from his subordinates that former Commander Kwak had said so.

On December 9 last year, Commander Kim held a press conference and revealed, "I received calls from Commander Kwak Jong-geun of the Special Warfare Command at intervals of 1 to 2 minutes, with the nuance of 'They say the number of members of the National Assembly should not exceed 150. Can you pull them out?'" However, during the Constitutional Court witness examination, he changed his position, stating that he misunderstood the reporters' questions at the press conference and answered accordingly.