Special Prosecutor's Team Seeks Custody of Former JCS Chairman Kim Myung-soo Over Rebellion Allegations Under Martial Law

The 2nd Comprehensive Special Prosecutor's Team, led by Kwon Chang-young, has moved to secure the custody of four former military leaders, including former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Kim Myung-soo, by requesting arrest warrants over allegations of involvement in rebellion at the time of the emergency martial law declaration on December 3, 2024. The team has charged Kim Myung-soo, former JCS Vice Chairman Jung Jin-pal, former Army Policy Chief Kim Heung-joon, and former JCS Readiness Inspector Lee Jae-sik with the charge of engaging in important tasks related to rebellion. They are accused of participating in the martial law by not preventing the deployment of military forces to the National Assembly and other locations at the time of the declaration.

The special prosecutor's team believes that despite receiving opinions from his aides stating that there were procedural issues with the declaration of emergency martial law and that the deployment of troops to the National Assembly was legally questionable, Chairman Kim, who held military command authority, did not recommend the withdrawal of forces to then-Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. Former Defense Security Commander Yeo In-hyung had, shortly after his appointment, pushed for the reorganization of a joint investigation headquarters for martial law preparations, and the Defense Security Command had requested the dispatch of 100 personnel each to the police and the Ministry of National Defense's investigation headquarters.

This move by the special prosecutor's team to secure custody marks the full-scale commencement of the investigation into suspicions surrounding the emergency martial law that remained after the third special prosecutor's probe. The clarification of the truth regarding the involvement of military leadership at the time is expected to influence future legal judgments.