SEOUL, Jan 3 (NNN-YONHAP) – South Korean Prosecutors, today, indicted the top commander of the Army and the head of its special warfare unit, over their alleged roles in the short-lived imposition of an emergency martial law early last month.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park An-su, who served as martial law commander, and Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun, chief of the Army Special Warfare Command, were indicted under detention on charges of insurrection and abuse of power, the report said, citing the prosecution handling their cases.
Park issued the martial law decree under his name on the night of Dec 3, an act which investigators believe contains unconstitutional elements, while Kwak is accused of sending special operations forces to the National Assembly, under orders from the now-impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol, to secure the parliament building and prevent lawmakers from passing a motion to reject the martial law, according to the report.
Prosecutors deemed the actions of the two officials as having the intent to subvert the Constitution and amount to charges of insurrection. Park and Kwak were placed under arrest last month.
The South Korean parliament voted to revoke the martial law just hours after its imposition in early Dec last year, followed by a vote by the legislature later in the month, to impeach Yoon over his declaration of the martial law decree.– NNN-YONHAP
