South Korea: Military commanders linked to martial law case dismissed from positions

Seoul, Jan 20 The South Korea military on Monday approved the official dismissal of four senior commanders suspected of taking part in impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial imposition from their positions.

The decision made at disciplinary committees of the defence ministry and the Army, respectively, affects Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung, head of the Defence Counterintelligence Command; Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho, head of the Defence Intelligence Command; Lt. Gen. Lee Jin-woo, head of the Capital Defence Command; and Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun, chief of the Army Special Warfare Command, according to the ministry.

The commanders are suspected of taking part in martial law operations during Yoon's botched martial law bid on December 3.

The move is expected to go into effect on Tuesday, when the ministry will officially notify the four commanders of the decision.

The ministry is currently conducting a legal review of possible disciplinary measures for Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park An-su, who served as martial law commander.

All four commanders, alongside Park, have been suspended from their duties and indicted with physical detention over their alleged connections to the martial law bid.

Moon is suspected of sending troops to the National Election Commission's office in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, on the night of December 3, and discussing martial law operations in advance, while Yeo is also suspected of the same charges as well as ordering the arrest of key politicians.

Lee is accused of ordering the deployment of troops to the National Assembly and ordering them to enter the National Assembly building and drag out lawmakers, Yonhap news agency reported.

Kwak is similarly accused of sending special operations forces to the National Assembly under orders from Yoon to secure the building and prevent lawmakers from passing a motion to reject martial law.

Earlier in the day, South Korean Police made another unsuccessful attempt to search the Presidential Security Service (PSS) and a presidential safe house as part of their investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid.