South Korea: Arrest Warrant Requested for Capital Defence Command Chief in Martial Law Investigation

Seoul, Dec 15 (NationPress) South Korean prosecutors disclosed on Sunday that they are pursuing an arrest warrant for Lt. Gen. Lee Jin-woo, the chief of the Capital Defence Command, as part of an inquiry into his alleged participation in President Yoon Suk Yeol's enforcement of martial law.

This move follows a day after prosecutors interrogated Lee as a suspect in the ongoing investigation. He was taken into custody late on Friday.

Lee is accused of instructing the deployment of martial law troops to the National Assembly after Yoon declared martial law on December 3. The parliament quickly revoked the martial law shortly after its announcement.

Numerous military leaders are currently under scrutiny for their involvement in executing martial law. Lee is the third high-ranking officer to be detained for questioning, succeeding the detentions of former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun and Defence Counterintelligence Command chief Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung.

Prosecutors reportedly interrogated Lee on Saturday regarding his purported decision to deploy troops under his command to the National Assembly, including inquiries about whether the troops were armed.

Investigators are also expected to examine the specific instructions Lee received from Yoon following the martial law declaration and whether his command collaborated with the Defence Counterintelligence Command to establish detention facilities for significant political figures, according to the Yonhap news agency.

Moreover, investigators are trying to ascertain whether Lee was aware of Yoon's intentions to declare martial law in advance. Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun, the head of the Army Special Warfare Command, has admitted that he was informed of Yoon's preparations for the decree.

Earlier this month, Lee informed an opposition lawmaker that troops in the initial batch sent to the National Assembly were armed but that he instructed them to leave their firearms in the vehicle due to the area being too congested.

Lee was suspended from his responsibilities on December 6 and has also been subjected to a travel ban.