Trials are set to begin this week for high-ranking military and police officials indicted on charges of insurrection and abuse of power in connection with suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration.
The Seoul Central District Court will hold the first preparatory hearing for suspended Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho and former chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Kim Bong-sik at 10 a.m. Thursday.
According to the special prosecution team handling the investigation, the two police officials allegedly met the president at his safe house in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, central Seoul, hours before the martial law declaration, received instructions from the president and sent police personnel to control the situation at the National Assembly.
Cho and Kim are accused of ordering police to prevent lawmakers from entering the National Assembly, alleged involvement in the military’s attempt to arrest key politicians -- including the main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and former ruling People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon -- and attempts to seize the server at the National Election Commission.
The first preparatory hearings for former Defense Intelligence Commander Noh Sang-won and former DIC colonel Kim Yong-gun are scheduled for Thursday at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.
Noh, a close aide to former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, was indicted under detention on charges of insurrection, abuse of power and activities which obstruct others from exercising their rights. The prosecutors indicted the colonel over charges of engaging in essential activities for the insurrection and obstructing the exercise of rights as well.
The ex-defense minister, who appeared in his first preparatory hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, is set for his second preparatory hearing at 4 p.m. on the same day.
The preparatory hearings of high-ranking police and military officials, led by the court’s criminal collegiate division 25, will discuss how the trial would proceed. The defendants are not obligated to appear in court.
Meanwhile, the state anti-corruption agency seeks to speed up its martial law case surrounding former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min.
Though the prosecution service transferred Lee’s case to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials in December 2024, the investigation into the former minister was put on hold as the agency devoted itself to the case surrounding the suspended president.
In the meantime, the CIO has been reviewing the case and the legal grounds for pursuing charges of insurrection and abuse of power.
Lee, a key figure who entered the presidential safe house before the martial law declaration, is suspected of ordering the National Fire Agency to shut off electricity and water supply for the local media and broadcasters on Dec. 3.
Heo Seok-gon, the fire commissioner of the National Fire Agency, said he received a call from Lee asking to cooperate with police in cutting off the electricity and water supply during a questioning held by the National Assembly’s Administration and Security Committee in January.
The commissioner added that the measures were not carried out.
sj_lee@heraldcorp.com
