Defense Ministry stands down 2 senior officials for involvement in 2024 martial law attempt
Published: 02 Dec. 2025, 11:06
![President Lee Jae Myung reviews the troops from an inspection vehicle during the Armed Forces Day ceremony at Gyeryongdae, a large military complex in South Chungcheong, on Oct. 1, in this photo uploaded by his office to social media on Oct. 2. [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/12/02/c8944e8b-cfa0-446d-be05-dcab5b7777b4.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung reviews the troops from an inspection vehicle during the Armed Forces Day ceremony at Gyeryongdae, a large military complex in South Chungcheong, on Oct. 1, in this photo uploaded by his office to social media on Oct. 2. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
The Ministry of National Defense on Monday said it sidelined two senior officials who handled discipline for a key figure in last year's botched martial law attempt, escalating the government's effort to identify and punish those involved.
"Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back removed the legal affairs director and the inspector general from their posts as part of a personnel shake-up tied to follow-up measures on the illegal Dec. 3 martial law declaration," the ministry said.
The ministry said it will conduct a more thorough investigation and “impose strict punishment” while supporting the work of the government's "constitutional compliance" task force.
The latest measure centers on the case of Kim Sang-hwan, the Army’s legal affairs chief at the time, who rode on a bus that briefly left Army headquarters for Seoul under instructions tied to the martial law bid.
The bus left the Army headquarters in Gyeryongdae, a large military complex in South Chungcheong, for Seoul early on Dec. 4 last year under instructions from Park An-su, who served as the main commander for former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declared on Dec. 3, 2024.
The bus returned within 30 minutes. Thirty-four Army staff officers ranging from major to major general were on board.
The ministry initially issued a 10-day suspension for Kim Sang-hwan, but Prime Minister Kim Min-seok canceled the penalty and ordered a review. The ministry then replaced the suspension with a heavier sanction of demotion.
Kim Sang-hwan, who retired last month, left the military as a colonel rather than a brigadier general because of the demotion. The remaining 33 officers could also face heavy penalties.
Ahead of the first anniversary of the brief martial law imposition, the government is expanding its review across ministries to identify those involved and determine disciplinary measures.
“We almost went to war... the great people of Korea stopped it," President Lee Jae Myung wrote on social media on Monday.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM CHUL-WOONG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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