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Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Did DCC Commander 'blacklist' generals? State investigation conducted
Intelligence command probed for allegedly keeping tabs on political views of high-ranking military officials The military's intelligence agency is under investigation for allegedly tracking the political inclinations of former and incumbent generals and using a blacklist for personnel decisions during the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration, according to local media reports. The Defense Counterintelligence Command was searched by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials on May 29 in relation to the CIO's ongoing probe into former DCC Commander Yeo In-hyung. Yeo, a former three-star general, was dismissed by the Ministry of Defense in March for his suspected involvement in Yoon's short-lived martial law imposition in December. The recent allegations center on Yeo purportedly keeping a blacklist of the military generals based on their political opinions, which would be an abuse of authority as stipulated in Article 123 of the Criminal Act. The CIO found documents they suspected to mek up a blacklist in their investigation of Yoon's insurrection charge and procured testimonies by DCC officials that Yeo had kept the list since taking office in November 2023. The testimonies said the blacklist had affected the personnel decisions in the military. Many generals were customarily hired as civilian officials in the ministry and affiliated organizations. It was reported that the problematic document had detailed information about incumbent and retired generals, including their personal information, political views and proximity to the Democratic Party of Korea. The CIO confirmed that the DCC had compiled reports on generals' promotions and appointments, along with reviews of personnel decisions regarding retired generals. Officials will conduct further investigation into whether the blacklist was reported to Yoon and if it was related to the declaration of martial law. Yoon and Yeo are on trial for suspected insurrection concerning the martial law declaration on Dec. 3. Yeo has maintained that he opposed Yoon's orders to impose martial law, although evidence contradicting the claim was recovered in the subsequent investigation.
Korea Herald
24-04-2025
- Korea Herald
Same 2 Chinese nationals caught taking photographs near Pyeongtaek US military base again
Two Chinese nationals were caught taking photographs near a US military base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on Wednesday, just two days after being questioned and released for the same activity, officials said. On Monday, the pair had been stopped for photographing military facilities and aircraft near Osan Air Base. At the time, police had said there was no evidence of 'anti-state activity' and released them without charges. The same decision was made when the duo were caught taking photographs again Wednesday. Police said no laws had been violated, as the photographs they took showed aircraft in flight, an act that is not illegal. According to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, the US military reported around 11 a.m. Wednesday that the two were photographing aircraft near Osan Air Base, also known as K-55. Officers were dispatched and detained the two on suspicion of violating the Military Facility Protection Act. Authorities confirmed that the individuals were the same ones involved in Monday's incident. After an eight-hour joint investigation with the National Intelligence Service and the Defense Counterintelligence Command, police had decided not to press charges, again citing a lack of evidence of anti-state activity. Officials declined to provide further details, citing security concerns.
Korea Herald
23-04-2025
- Korea Herald
Two Chinese nationals caught filming near US military base in Pyeongtaek
Two Chinese nationals were caught filming near a US military facility in Pyeongtaek on Monday, a month after two other Chinese citizens were found photographing aircraft near an air base in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The security investigation division of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said it booked the two without detention on suspicion of violating the Military Facility Protection Act. The suspects took unauthorized photographs near Osan Air Base, also known as K-55, around 9 a.m. Monday. They reportedly photographed parts of the base and military aircraft using a camera. Details about the equipment used or the specific facilities captured were not disclosed. Police said they investigated the case in cooperation with the National Intelligence Service and the Defense Counterintelligence Command, and concluded around 5 p.m. that there was no indication of anti-state activities, without further elaborating for 'security' grounds. In a separate case last month, two Chinese teenagers were caught taking photos of aircraft taking off and landing near the Suwon Air Base using DSLR cameras and smartphones. They were also found to have taken thousands of photographs at four military facilities, including the US base in Pyeongtaek and an air base in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. After police obtained testimony that one of the teenagers' fathers is an official with China's Public Security Bureau, the teen was booked for investigation.
Al Arabiya
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
What you need to know about investigations faced by South Korea's former president Yoon
Since South Korea's Constitutional Court ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, he has lost presidential immunity and is vulnerable to additional charges on top of an ongoing criminal trial concerning his martial law declaration on Dec. 3. Yoon is currently undergoing a trial for insurrection charges, along with a former cabinet minister, several military commanders and police officials. Here is what we know about his criminal investigations and trial so far: Who is facing charges? Yoon has been charged with masterminding insurrection over his martial law order. His former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun has been arrested and indicted for alleged insurrection and abuse of power. Chiefs of the Capital Defense Command and the Defense Counterintelligence Command have also been indicted. Others involved in the case include former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min and army chief Park An-su, who was named martial law commander. The army's Special Warfare Command as well as several other military generals and senior police officials, including the national and Seoul police chiefs, are also accused of playing a role in the martial law plan. Yoon, Kim, Lee, the national and Seoul police chiefs and more than 10 military commanders have been banned from leaving the country. Yoon became the first sitting president to be arrested on January 15 after a dramatic showdown with law enforcement officials. He was released from jail on March 8 after a court cancelled his arrest warrant, citing the timing of the indictment and questions about the legality of the investigation process. What charges are sought? In what had been the first-ever criminal prosecution of an incumbent leader, Yoon was indicted in January on charges of leading insurrection. Other officials also face charges of insurrection, abuse of authority and obstructing other people from exercising their rights. South Korean investigating authorities pursued the charge against Yoon because insurrection is one of the few criminal charges from which a sitting South Korean president does not have immunity. However, with former president Yoon having lost immunity, he is now open to other potential charges prosecutors may bring against him. If convicted, leading an insurrection is punishable by death or life imprisonment with or without prison labor. For those who engaged in activities key to the insurrection, punishment could range from death to life imprisonment down to imprisonment without prison labor for at least five years. South Korea last handed down a death sentence in 2016, but has not executed anyone since 1997. People who merely joined in the plot or violence face imprisonment, with or without prison labor, for less than five years. In February, Yoon attended in a Seoul court for his first criminal trial hearing, where his lawyers denied insurrection charges and said Yoon had no intention to paralyze the country. The trial's first arguments are scheduled on April 14.
Korea Herald
03-04-2025
- Korea Herald
Chinese national arrested for alleged attempt to buy military secrets
South Korean military authorities have arrested a Chinese suspect accused of attempting to obtain classified military information by persuading a South Korean soldier to leak it, the Defense Ministry said Thursday. The Defense Counterintelligence Command is investigating the man after detaining him on suspicion of violating the Military Secrets Protection Act. A South Korean soldier, currently on active duty, has also been taken into custody for allegedly cooperating with him. According to the ministry, the Chinese man used open-access, anonymous chat rooms on KakaoTalk to approach soldiers who were on active duty. In these chat rooms, the suspect acted like a fellow soldier and approached individuals to obtain military information, in exchange for money or other compensation. The South Korean soldier currently in custody was stationed in Yanggu, Gangwon Province. He is accused of smuggling a spy camera and unauthorized mobile phones into his military unit and photographing sensitive intranet content — including operational plans for South Korea-US joint drills — and sending the material to the Chinese suspect on multiple occasions. Both individuals were apprehended on Jeju Island, where the Chinese suspect had reportedly traveled to deliver compensation to the soldier. Further details of the investigation will be disclosed due to security concerns, the ministry said. However, it is unlikely that the suspects will be charged with espionage, as South Korea's National Security Act limits such charges to cases involving North Korea. In a similar case in July last year, a civilian employee at the Defense Intelligence Command was arrested for leaking second-class military secrets — including the identities of South Korean undercover agents — to a Chinese operative in exchange for bribes. However, he was not charged with espionage, as the case involved China rather than North Korea.
