South Korean police on Tuesday carried out a raid on the office of a special counsel in Seoul as part of an expanding investigation into alleged abuses of authority during the December 2024 martial law declaration. The probe focuses on claims that the Ministry of Justice attempted to secure large-scale detention capacity in correctional facilities during the controversial period.
A special investigation team from the Korean National Police Agency searched the office of Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk in southern Seoul to obtain documents related to detention space. These materials had earlier been seized by Cho’s team during a raid on former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae, who has since been indicted on martial law-related charges.
Police said the raid is linked to allegations against Shin Yong-hae, former head of the Korea Correctional Service. Shin is suspected of assessing detention capacity in correctional facilities around the capital under Park’s direction and reporting that space could be made available for an additional 3,600 detainees during martial law.
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According to findings by the special counsel team, Shin allegedly instructed subordinates to draft plans for adjusting inmate numbers and considering parole options to free up detention space. While Park was formally charged last month, Shin’s case was transferred to police for further investigation, indicating the widening scope of accountability.
In a parallel development, South Korea’s defence ministry confirmed that around 10 military officers suspected of involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed martial law attempt will be referred to a newly formed defence special investigative unit. The officials are linked to activities such as setting up a martial law situation room and deploying intelligence personnel to the National Election Commission.
The defence ministry said disciplinary committees have already been convened to review the conduct of those involved. These actions form part of a broader interagency effort to restore institutional credibility, strengthen civilian oversight of the military, and address the systemic failures exposed by the attempted imposition of martial law.
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