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🇰🇷 South Korea /Conflict & Security

Military Agency Drilled for Martial Law During Joint Exercises: Report

From Hankyoreh · (4m ago) Korean Critical tone

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • South Korea's Defense Counterintelligence Command (DCC) allegedly drilled for martial law scenarios during joint US-South Korea military exercises in March 2024.
  • The DCC's chief reportedly ordered units to develop operation plans and conducted investigation, arrest, and escort drills for martial law.
  • These preparations have raised suspicions that the DCC's drills were inspired by actual plans for martial law, declared in December 2024.

The recent revelations concerning the Defense Counterintelligence Command's (DCC) alleged martial law drills during the March 2024 Freedom Shield exercises are deeply concerning and warrant thorough investigation. The Hankyoreh's reporting suggests a disturbing pattern of preparation for extraordinary measures, raising serious questions about the intentions and actions of military leadership.

it was unclear who would take action under martial law, given the lack of concrete operation plans, and ordered the development of operation plans and the creation of a “task organization,” given the “lack of Lego blocks.”

— Yeo In-hyeongThe DCC chief's alleged remarks to senior officers in early 2024, explaining the need for specific martial law operation plans.

According to sources, the DCC chief, Yeo In-hyeong, not only ordered the development of specific operation plans for martial law but also personally oversaw drills for investigation, arrest, and escort scenarios. This level of detailed preparation, especially given the subsequent declaration of martial law in December 2024, strongly implies that these exercises were not merely theoretical but were linked to actual contingency planning.

Formation of Joint Investigation Headquarters, Action Drills and Task Organization (Draft)

— DCC Report TitleThe title of a report the DCC allegedly briefed Yeo In-hyeong on, outlining their martial law preparations.

The term 'Lego block' used in military parlance to describe the lack of specific unit missions highlights a potential systemic issue within the military's readiness for such extreme circumstances. The DCC's efforts to create a 'task organization' and conduct action drills suggest a proactive, albeit potentially alarming, approach to a scenario that should ideally remain a last resort.

Task organization” is a military term that means assigning missions to various units and establishing chains of command to ensure those missions are executed effectively.

— Article ContextExplanation of a military term used in the context of the DCC's martial law planning.

From our perspective at The Hankyoreh, this situation underscores the critical importance of civilian oversight and transparency within the military. The public has a right to know the extent to which such plans were developed and whether they posed any threat to democratic principles. The subsequent tasking of the DCC with arresting politicians during the actual martial law declaration further fuels these suspicions and demands clear answers.

if martial law were declared, the units in the joint investigation headquarters would need to have worked out their respective responsibil

— Yeo In-hyeongThe DCC chief's alleged statement during the exercises, emphasizing the need for pre-determined responsibilities.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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