South Korea’s ex-spy chief arrested over martial law: Court
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Mr Cho Tae-yong had been aware of the President Yoon Suk Yeol's plan to impose martial law in advance but he did not report it to the Parliament.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SEOUL – A former South Korean spy chief who led the intelligence agency during the 2024 martial law declaration was arrested on Nov 12 for dereliction of duty, a Seoul court told AFP
The arrest follows a request by special prosecutors for a warrant against Cho Tae-yong, former head of the National Intelligence Service, on charges that he ignored his duties as spy agency chief and posed a risk of destroying evidence, among other allegations.
The Seoul Central District Court reviewed the validity of the warrant on Nov 11 and granted it.
“The outcome of the review is... the issuance of the warrant on the risk of evidence destruction,” the court said in a statement to AFP.
“The primary charge is dereliction of duty,” it added.
Prosecutors said Cho, a career diplomat who led the spy agency at the time of then President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration in December, failed to report the move to Parliament despite “understanding its illegality”.
He is also accused of making false statements.
“The possibility that he was involved in the insurrection has increased,” prosecutor Park Ji-young told reporters last week.
Cho’s arrest comes after prosecutors added another indictment against Yoon on charges of aiding the enemy, alleging he ordered drone flights over North Korea to bolster his martial law plan.
North Korea said in 2024 it had “proved” the South flew drones to drop propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang, an act Seoul’s military has not confirmed.
Ms Park said on Nov 10 that her team had “filed charges of benefiting the enemy in general and of abuse of power” against the former president.
Yoon plunged South Korea into political crisis when he sought to subvert civilian rule in December, sending armed soldiers to Parliament in a bid to stop lawmakers voting down his martial law declaration.
The effort failed, and Yoon was detained in a dawn raid in January,
Yoon remains on trial for insurrection and other offences linked to his martial law declaration.
His wife, Kim Keon Hee, is also in custody and standing trial on corruption charges, including stock manipulation – marking the first time a former first couple has been detained. AFP
