The Ministry of National Defense said on the 19th that it is verifying the missions and roles of the units that were deployed or involved in the '12-3 emergency martial law.'
A Ministry of National Defense official said that to restore the pride of the military wounded by the emergency martial law and to become a new military, it is necessary to thoroughly review the emergency martial law process, correct any mistakes, and supplement areas for improvement, adding, "We will take appropriate measures based on the verification of the facts."
This investigation was initiated under the direction of Minister An Gyu-baek and is led by the Inspector General's office of the Ministry of National Defense. Previously, Minister An highlighted the importance of breaking from the past, which was consumed as a tool of emergency martial law, and emphasized the goal of transforming into "the military of the people."
The subjects of the investigation are the units that were deployed to the National Assembly and other places during the emergency martial law or were involved in it. The Inspector General's office of the Ministry of National Defense will conduct the investigation by visiting field units or hearing statements from relevant parties. The specific duration of the investigation has not been determined yet. A Ministry of National Defense official stated, "This is an official confirmation at the level of the Ministry of National Defense and is a separate internal investigation from the special prosecutor's investigation."
This investigation is understood to be aimed at the discipline or punishment of units or military personnel who excessively performed their duties during the emergency martial law, unlike the discovery of award candidates.
Earlier, the Ministry of National Defense announced on the 18th of last month that it would reward military personnel who contributed to protecting the lives and safety of people by not following unlawful or unjust orders during the emergency martial law. This discovery of award candidates is still ongoing.
Minister An mentioned earlier on June 27, during his first meeting with reporters after being nominated as a defense minister candidate, regarding the emergency martial law, "If you just spray disinfectant and stitch it up, there will be parts that fester and burst." He added, "Areas that need to be excised must be excised to allow new flesh to grow."