Commander awarded for defiance indicted for rebellion by special prosecutor

A former commander, who received a medal for refusing to deploy his troops during a martial law declaration, has been indicted on charges of participating in a rebellion. The special prosecutor's office accuses Colonel Cho Seong-hyun, former head of the 1st Guard Unit of the Army's Capital Defense Command, of relaying an order from his superior to deploy forces to the National Assembly to apprehend individuals inside.

However, Colonel Cho reportedly defied the order by halting his troops at the Seogang Bridge, thereby preventing the National Assembly from being seized by martial law forces. This action, which earned him a medal, is now being scrutinized as part of a broader alleged rebellion. The special prosecutor's office considers the act of deploying troops to paralyze the National Assembly as the initiation of a rebellion, even if the troops were subsequently halted.

Colonel Cho has stated that he halted the troops due to concerns about potential harm to civilians and his subordinates. He also indicated that he questioned the legitimacy of the order at the time, having expressed confusion and surprise during testimony in a previous trial related to President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment. He claimed he decided against ordering his troops into action after observing citizens physically blocking the military's advance.

The special prosecutor's office has also indicted Hong Jang-won, former deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, on similar charges. Hong is accused of involvement in conveying messages to U.S. intelligence agencies to justify the martial law. His prior disclosure of President Yoon Suk-yeol's alleged order to arrest politicians was seen as instrumental in resolving the internal conflict surrounding the martial law declaration.

The article expresses concern that the special prosecutor's aggressive pursuit of "uprooting rebellion forces" might be overly ambitious. It suggests that the office would achieve a significant outcome by simply holding accountable the prosecution leadership and investigators who allegedly protected First Lady Kim Keon-hee from criminal charges.