South Korea: Police raid special counsel office in martial law probe

Seoul, Jan 6 (IANS) Police in South Korea on Tuesday raided a special counsel office, as part of their investigation into allegations that the Ministry of Justice attempted to secure detention space within correctional facilities following the martial law declaration in December 2024.

A special investigation team from the Korean National Police Agency sent investigators to the office of special counsel Cho Eun-suk in southern Seoul in the morning to secure the detention space-related data from documents previously seized by Cho's team during its raid on former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae.

Police said the raid was conducted in connection with the probe into Shin Yong-hae, former head of the Korea Correctional Service, who is accused of playing a role in the martial law imposition, reports Yonhap news agency.

Shin is suspected of assessing detention capacity at correctional facilities in the capital area under the direction of Park during martial law. Shin is said to have reported to Park that an additional 3,600 detainees could be accommodated.

The special counsel team concluded last month that Shin also asked his subordinates to write a document on ways to adjust the number of inmates and consider parole to secure detention space. It then indicted Park on martial law-related charges and transferred Shin's case to the police.

Meanwhile, it has been found that around 10 military officers suspected of being involved in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid in December 2024 will be referred to a defence special investigative unit for probe, the defence ministry said on Tuesday.

The officials include those who were linked to the establishment of a martial law situation room at the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the deployment of defence intelligence command personnel to the National Election Commission, according to the ministry.

A ministerial subcommittee under an interagency task force investigating public officials' involvement in the martial law attempt will refer the affected individuals for probe to a recently established defence special investigative unit. They may face disciplinary action in accordance with the results.

The move comes as the task force is reviewing the results of the ministry's independent audit into the martial law involvement and referring officials for further probe as part of a broader push to rebuild the military following the martial law imposition.

The defence ministry has convened disciplinary committees to review measures against officials involved in the martial law bid, including those who were aboard a bus that departed for Seoul from the Army headquarters, shortly after the National Assembly voted to lift the martial law decree.