Seoul Central District Court [Yonhap]
Seoul Central District Court [Yonhap]

The second comprehensive special prosecutor team led by Kwon Chang-young, investigating allegations left unresolved after three earlier special counsel probes, has moved to detain former Army Ground Operations Command chief Kang Ho-pil on suspicion of participating in the insurrection.

The special prosecutor team filed an arrest warrant Friday against Kang on charges of performing an important role in an insurrection, according to legal sources Saturday.

A pretrial detention hearing is scheduled for Monday at Seoul Central District Court.

Kang is accused of participating in the execution of the martial law declaration — including involvement in setting up a situation room within the Ground Operations Command and ordering the convening of a crisis response unit and all command officers.

Prosecutors are focusing on the fact that the Ground Operations Command, under Kang's leadership, activated its crisis response unit via a voice broadcast system at 10:36 p.m. on Dec. 3, 2024, immediately after former President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law.

The special prosecutor team is also examining whether Kang participated in discussions related to the martial law declaration before it was carried out.

Former Defense Counterintelligence Command chief Yeo In-hyeong had written notes referring to the Ground Operations commander, Special Warfare commander, Capital Defense commander and Counterintelligence commander collectively by their abbreviated initials. The notes read: "This is the shared opinion of the four commanders"; "The four are prepared"; "The enemy must act first — a wartime situation or one where police cannot maintain control must come"; and "I am speaking frankly so that we seize the right moment and do not miscalculate."

Of the four, former Special Warfare Command chief Kwak Jong-geun, former Capital Defense Command chief Lee Jin-woo and former Counterintelligence Command chief Yeo In-hyeong are all standing trial on charges of performing an important role in an insurrection. Kang is the only one not yet charged.

Kang has maintained that he had no prior knowledge of the emergency martial law declaration and was not involved in its execution, denying all allegations against him.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com