Kim Hyun-tae, a former commander (colonel) of the Army Special Warfare Command's 707th Special Mission Group, who claimed that Deputy Presidential Spokesperson An Gwi-ryeong's act of grabbing the muzzle of an armed soldier who entered the National Assembly during the Dec. 3 martial law crisis was "staged," has been accused of defamation and reported to police.
Attorney Yang Sung-woo of Jihyang Law Firm, who represents Deputy Spokesperson An, said on the 15th that he filed a complaint with the Seocho Police Station in Seoul against Colonel Kim on charges of defamation by alleging false facts.
Attorney Yang said, "Colonel Kim's remarks are a textbook case of sexual harassment that belittled the authenticity and credibility of a female politician's public act," adding, "Acts that distort a citizen's actions taken to defend constitutional order as a 'staged political show' must never be tolerated."
On the 9th, Colonel Kim appeared as a witness in the trial of former Minister Kim Yong-hyun of the Ministry of National Defense and others, and said, "(Unit members) say they saw Deputy Spokesperson An preparing to film and even putting on makeup just before," claiming, "She attempted to seize the firearm in a staged manner." Colonel Kim is currently on trial on charges including engaging in major insurrection duties for allegedly breaking a window and entering the National Assembly during martial law.
Deputy Spokesperson An's side also plans to file a civil lawsuit against Colonel Kim seeking damages for defamation.