Prosecutors: "Kim Yong-hyun Received 'Bihwa Phone' from Security Chief the Day Before Martial Law and Delivered It to Noh Sang-won"

Former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun delivered a secure phone to former Commander of the Republic of Korea Army Intelligence Command No Sang-won, who was a civilian at the time, on December 2, one day before the 'December 3 Emergency Martial Law.' The secure phone was obtained by Kim from Kim Seong-hoon, Deputy Chief of the Presidential Security Service, upon request.

Former Intelligence Command Chief Noh Sang-won, accused of premeditating the emergency martial law on December 3 and drafting the proclamation, is being escorted to a transport vehicle at the Seoul Western Police Station in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, on the 24th to be sent to the prosecution. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

On the 10th, the Ministry of Justice submitted an indictment to the office of Assemblyman Park Eun-jung of the Party for Innovation of the Country, which included Kim Hyun-tae, Commander of the 707th Special Mission Group, and six other military commanders, charging them with important duties related to rebellion and abuse of authority to obstruct the exercise of rights.

According to the indictment, on the morning of December 2 last year, former Minister Kim called Deputy Chief Kim and requested a spare secure phone, asking that "the user name of the secure phone be set to 'test' (example)." The prosecution stated that a secure phone set with the user name 'test' group can communicate with the President, Chief of the First Office, Chief of the Executive Office, Chief of Security Service, Deputy Chief of Security Service, and Minister of National Defense.

Subsequently, Deputy Chief Kim conveyed former Minister Kim's request to the head of the Security Service Support Headquarters, and in response to the request, one secure phone was configured and delivered to former Minister Kim through his secretary that same evening. The secure phone was then handed over to former Commander No, who visited the official residence of the Minister of National Defense that evening.

The prosecution identified that the secure phone was used by former Commander No to secretly communicate with former Minister Kim while effectively serving as the head of the 'Second Investigation Unit,' which was to investigate election fraud at the Central Election Management Committee.