Special counsel seeks arrest warrant for ex-presidential security aide over alleged role in martial law

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South Korea's special counsel team investigating former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration has taken new legal steps against two former senior officials. On Thursday, the team indicted former Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Kim Myung-soo on charges related to the martial law bid, and on Tuesday it sought an arrest warrant for former Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo over his alleged role in the same episode.

Coverage Comparison

Both developments were reported by Yonhap News Agency, which covered the indictment of Kim Myung-soo in a July 2 article and the arrest warrant request for Kim Tae-hyo in a July 7 article. The reports detail the allegations against each official and include responses from Kim Myung-soo's side, which has rejected the accusations.

Key Claims

Indictment of Kim Myung-soo

Special counsel Kwon Chang-young's team indicted Kim Myung-soo, who served as the nation's highest-ranking military officer at the time of the Dec. 3, 2024, martial law declaration, according to Yonhap. He was indicted without detention.

Investigators allege that Kim took no action as martial law troops moved into the National Assembly and that he helped set up a martial law command. The team contends that Kim was aware the martial law bid and troop deployment were unlawful and failed to act appropriately given his position. Testimony obtained by the team indicated that Kim's aides warned him several times that the declaration was procedurally flawed and that troops at the National Assembly should be pulled back. Legal experts had also advised him that command authority over the military would stay with the JCS even after martial law took effect.

Kim's side has rejected the allegations, claiming that then Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun took over control of martial law troops after Yoon's declaration and that Kim was sidelined from decision-making procedures.

The team also indicted three others, including Lee Jae-sik, former deputy chief of the JCS Combat Readiness Inspection Office, over their alleged involvement in the martial law bid.

Arrest Warrant Sought for Kim Tae-hyo

Separately, the special counsel team filed for an arrest warrant for Kim Tae-hyo, a former senior security aide to Yoon, on charges of playing a key role in the martial law bid and abuse of authority, according to legal sources cited by Yonhap.

Kim is accused of sending messages to the United States and other countries through foreign affairs officials in an attempt to justify Yoon's imposition of martial law shortly after it was declared. The messages reportedly described the martial law as a move intended to protect liberal democracy and a response to the National Assembly's efforts to paralyze the executive branch.

The special counsel team said it did not seek an arrest warrant for former National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik, considering his involvement to be relatively minor.