South Korea’s prosecution announced on Dec. 6 that it will conduct a joint investigation into allegations involving the planning of a martial law declaration.
The investigation, which aims to identify those responsible for the plans, will be carried out in coordination with military prosecutors as part of the newly formed Special Investigation Headquarters.
The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office said, “To advance the investigation into the martial law case, the Special Investigation Headquarters will receive support from military prosecutors and other personnel from the military prosecution and proceed collaboratively.”
By incorporating military prosecutors, the prosecution seeks to ensure a thorough examination of the case, which involves allegations of misconduct by key military and government officials.
The Special Investigation Headquarters will be led by Park Se-hyun, chief of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office. Park is a graduate of Hyundai High School and Seoul National University’s School of Law and a junior to ruling People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon.
A member of the 29th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, Park began his career as a prosecutor in 2003 at the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office. He has since held roles overseeing criminal investigations as the head of the Criminal Department at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and serving as the chief prosecutor of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office before assuming his current position in September.
Kim Jong-woo, deputy chief prosecutor at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office, has been named deputy head of the headquarters. Senior prosecutors Lee Chan-kyu and Choi Soon-ho will each lead separate teams within the investigation unit.
This move comes after President Yoon Suk-yeol was accused of rebellion and abuse of power on Dec. 4. Prosecutor General Sim Woo-jung directed the prosecution on Dec. 5 to take charge of the investigation into rebellion-related allegations.
Although rebellion is typically outside the prosecution’s direct jurisdiction due to a 2021 adjustment in investigative authority, the abuse of power charge provides a legal basis for the prosecution’s involvement when directly connected to related offenses.
