Home > National > Politics

Ex-spy chief denies charges in martial law trial over alleged dereliction of duty

Published: 04 Feb. 2026, 16:35

Former National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong [YONHAP]

Former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Cho Tae-yong on Wednesday denied charges of dereliction of duty related to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid.

Cho's lawyers made the case at the Seoul Central District Court during the first hearing of his trial over allegations of neglecting his duties as NIS chief by failing to report the martial law plan to the National Assembly before Yoon's televised address to the nation on Dec. 3, 2024.

"The special counsel appears to be imagining that Cho conspired to commit an insurrection," the lawyers said. "If indictments are made based on imagination, [they] should have indicted [him] on charges of playing a key role in an insurrection, not dereliction of duty."

They also disputed charges that Cho also failed to notify parliament of martial law troops' attempt to arrest politicians that night, noting that the NIS director is required to inform parliament in situations posing a "grave impact" to national security.

The court said it plans to conduct witness examinations before ending oral arguments by as early as late next month.

Cho is among a number of senior former officials who have been indicted over allegations related to the ousted former president's short-lived imposition of martial law.

The special counsel team has demanded the death penalty for Yoon on charges of leading an insurrection through his martial law decree. A court ruling for that trial is scheduled to be made Feb. 19.

Yonhap