Former military commanders put on trial on charges of taking part in the National Assembly blockade during the Dec. 3 martial law situation were sentenced to prison terms.
The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Agreement Division 37-2 (Presiding Judges Oh Chang-seop, Ryu Chang-seong and Jang Seong-hun) on the 27th sentenced Kim Hyeon-tae, former commander of the Army Special Warfare Command 707th Special Mission Unit (colonel), to 12 years in prison on charges including engaging in important duties for insurrection.
The court said, "It is recognized that the defendant (former Director General Kim Hyeon-tae), on orders from Gwak Jong-geun (former Special Warfare Command commander), entered the National Assembly with unit members, sealed off the building and controlled access," adding, "It can also be recognized that they tried to block or remove lawmakers who were seeking to pass a resolution demanding the lifting of martial law at the time."
Former Director General Kim denied the charges, saying he only carried out a lawful order, but the court said, "The order the defendant received was clearly illegal, and the defendant recognized this."
Lee Sang-hyeon, former commander of the 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade (brigadier general), who, along with former Director General Kim, led troops during martial law and is accused of involvement in the National Assembly blockade, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The court said, "He deployed with the troops under his command to the National Assembly and ordered, 'Seal off the National Assembly and remove the lawmakers and others inside,'" adding, "This was ultimately to block the vote to lift martial law and was an anti-constitutional mission."
Kim Dae-woo, former head of the counterintelligence investigation unit (brigadier general) at the Defense Counterintelligence Command, who is accused of involvement in running arrest teams for politicians, was sentenced to five years in prison. The court said, "Ordering the formation of teams to arrest lawmakers or deploying investigators to the National Assembly to arrest lawmakers constituted a riot carried out as part of an insurrection."
Kim Bong-gyu, former head of the central newspaper unit (colonel), and Jeong Seong-uk, former head of Project Team 2 of the 100th Brigade (colonel), who took part in plans to occupy the National Election Commission and arrest its employees, were each sentenced to seven years in prison.
Among them, former Director General Kim Hyeon-tae, former brigade commander Lee Sang-hyeon and former Director General Kim Dae-woo were taken into custody in court that day, citing risks of flight and evidence destruction.
Park Heon-su, former head of the Ministry of National Defense investigation headquarters (major general), and Ko Dong-hee, former planning director at the Intelligence Command (colonel), were acquitted on the grounds that intent to commit insurrection was not established.