Ex-military commanders get severe prison terms for martial law roles

SEOUL, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court on Monday sentenced five former milita...

Yonhap NewsChae Yun-hwan2026-09-21 16:30查看原文 ↗

This composite file photo shows (from L to R) Yeo In-hyung, former commander of the Defense Counterintelligence Command; Lee Jin-woo, former chief of the Capital Defense Command; Kwak Jong-keun, former commander of the Army Special Warfare Command; and Moon Sang-ho, former commander of the Defense Intelligence Command. (Yonhap)

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SEOUL, Sept. 21 (Yonhap) -- A Seoul court on Monday sentenced five former military commanders to heavy prison terms over their roles in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed 2024 martial law bid.

The Seoul Central District Court handed out an 18-year prison term for Yeo In-hyung, former commander of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, and a 15-year term for Lee Jin-woo, former chief of the Capital Defense Command.

It also gave a 12-year term for Moon Sang-ho, former commander of the Defense Intelligence Command, a 10-year term for former Army Chief of Staff Park An-su, who served as the martial law commander, and a nine-year term for Kwak Jong-keun, former commander of the Army Special Warfare Command.

The court found the defendants guilty of multiple charges, including sending troops to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission and organizing and operating arrest teams for politicians after Yoon's martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024.

Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team had sought 30-year terms for Yeo and Lee, a 25-year term for Park, and 20-year terms for Kwak and Moon.

This composite file photo shows (from L to R) Yeo In-hyung, former commander of the Defense Counterintelligence Command; Lee Jin-woo, former chief of the Capital Defense Command; Kwak Jong-keun, former commander of the Army Special Warfare Command; and Moon Sang-ho, former commander of the Defense Intelligence Command. (Yonhap)

In a separate trial, the court dismissed the special counsel's indictment of Rep. Lim Jong-deuk of the main opposition People Power Party on charges of power abuse over a personnel appointment at the presidential Office of National Security in 2023.

The special counsel team charged Lim, who served as second deputy national security adviser at the time, of unfairly hiring a military officer for a position at the office's national crisis management center.

The court ruled the indictment fell outside the team's investigation mandate, which focuses on allegations stemming from former Yoon's failed 2024 martial law bid.

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr (END)

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