Cho Seong-hyeon, former commander of the 1st Security Group of the Army Capital Defense Command (colonel), who received a medal in recognition of his contribution to instructing troops moving to the National Assembly during the 12/3 martial law to 'not cross the Sogang Bridge', was eventually handed over to trial.
On the 19th, the 2nd Comprehensive Special Prosecutor's Team, Kwon Chang-young, announced that they had indicted Colonel Cho without detention on charges of engaging in important civil war duties.
Colonel Cho is suspected of participating in the civil war by sending orders to the 2nd Special Forces Battalion and the 35th Special Forces Battalion to dispatch former Defense Force Commander Lee Jin-woo to the National Assembly immediately after martial law was declared on December 3, 2024.
The special prosecution team's view is that Colonel Cho actively sympathized with martial law, but changed his attitude after the National Assembly passed a request to lift martial law.
During the investigation of the officials, the special prosecutor's team reportedly obtained a statement that former Director Cho ordered the unit that was waiting at Sogang Bridge on the day of martial law, "Get the batons and send them in. The mission is to pull out the personnel inside the National Assembly."
It was also found that Colonel Cho received a call from a person presumed to be former commander Lee on the day of martial law, and a recording of the call was obtained in which he said, "Loyalty, we will continue operations."
Colonel Cho is a person who testified several times during the investigation and impeachment trial that began in earnest after martial law.
He previously appeared at the Constitutional Court and testified that during martial law, he received instructions from former Commander Lee to enter the National Assembly and pull out lawmakers, but he judged the purpose of the mission to be unclear and requested a reexamination, and instructed the follow-up unit to "wait without crossing the Sogang Bridge."
The Ministry of National Defense awarded former Director Cho the National Defense Merit, Samil Medal in September last year, saying that he was recognized for his contribution to preventing national chaos by not following illegal and unjust orders from the beginning of martial law.
The Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok's team, which previously investigated the case, also ruled that former Director Cho had responded passively to former Commander Lee's instructions and ultimately refused them, and decided not to file a case.
However, the special investigation team reportedly decided that former Director Cho should be held accountable for sending troops into the National Assembly even after recognizing the illegality of martial law.
On this day, the special prosecutor's team also indicted Hong Chang-sik, former legal affairs manager at the Ministry of National Defense, and Kim Sang-hwan, former legal affairs director at the Army Headquarters, without detention on charges of dereliction of duty and inciting rebellion, respectively.
Former administrator Hong is suspected of failing to provide necessary legal advice to former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun and others during the martial law period.
Former Director Kim is accused of boarding the so-called 'martial law bus' that went from the Army Headquarters in Gyeryongdae, South Chungcheong Province to the martial law situation room to carry out his duties as martial law Minister of Justice even after the request for lifting martial law was passed in the National Assembly.
