South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense announced that it suspended two more Defense Counterintelligence Command generals from duty for deploying troops and personnel to the National Assembly and other locations when President Yoon Suk-yeol declared emergency martial law last week.
This comes two days after three high-ranking officers—Lieutenant General Lee Jin-woo, Lieutenant General Kwak Jong-geun, and Lieutenant General Yeo In-hyung—have been suspended from duty. The suspensions have created a leadership vacuum in key defense units, including those responsible for protecting the Seoul metropolitan area and conducting counterintelligence and special operations against North Korea.
“Defense Counterintelligence Command First Deputy Chief Jung Sung-woo and Defense Counterintelligence Command’s Investigation Unit Chief Kim Dae-woo have been suspended from their duties,” the Defense Ministry said on Dec. 8. The ministry added that they have been reassigned to units in the Seoul metropolitan area to facilitate ongoing investigations.
Jung, a close associate of Lieutenant General Yeo, served as Yeo’s chief of staff until late last month. He is accused of attending a preliminary meeting with Yeo and others an hour before the President’s surprise martial law declaration on Dec. 3. Kim is suspected of deploying a team to arrest key politicians during the short-lived martial law period.
The ministry explained that they suspended the two from their duties based on “additional allegations raised by the National Assembly and media and suggestions by the acting commander of the Counterintelligence Command.”
The ministry already suspended the duties of several military personnel on Dec. 6, citing them as key figures related to the martial law incident. However, Army Chief of Staff Park An-su, who served as the martial law commander, was excluded from suspension. “We need further fact-checking, and there was no actual troop movement or possibility of such a movement under his command,” the ministry explained.
Park is currently under investigation and has been placed on a no-fly list. While there was no confirmed movement of troops under his command, Park could still face accountability for overseeing martial law. Around ten active-duty military officers are under investigation, including prominent figures such as the 1st, 3rd, and 9th Airborne Brigades commanders, the 707th Special Mission Group, and the military police under the Capital Defense Command.
Military officials are concerned that the martial law declaration has partially paralyzed national security by disrupting military operations and training. Large-scale drills at the brigade level and above have been delayed or canceled. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have hesitated to issue directives, and troop movements have been tightly controlled for fear of misinterpretation.
Even routine troop movements have been cut back. On Dec. 6, when Army Chief of Staff Park traveled by helicopter to attend a National Assembly hearing, the military issued an unusual public notice clarifying that it was an “approved helicopter transfer.” Similarly, Marine Corps Commander Joo Il-seok canceled a scheduled trip to the northwestern islands of Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong due to concerns over using a helicopter.
The ministry’s top leadership has suffered a blow after the martial law crisis. Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who allegedly led the martial law declaration alongside President Yoon, was dismissed on Dec. 5, leaving Deputy Minister of National Defense Kim Sun-ho as the interim minister. This marks the first time South Korea has operated under an acting defense minister since its founding in 1948.
