Special prosecutor seeks 18-year sentence for ex-commander over martial law involvement

Prosecutors are demanding an 18-year prison sentence for Kim Hyun-tae, a former commander of the Army's 707th Special Mission Battalion, for his alleged role in a 1979 martial law conspiracy. Kim is accused of participating in the blockade of the National Assembly and the Central Election Control Commission during the period of the declared emergency.

The special prosecutor's team, led by Cho Eun-seok, presented its sentencing request during a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court. The court is handling the case involving treason and important duty offenses. The prosecution argued that Kim's actions, along with others, involved the private mobilization of state military forces to prevent constitutional bodies from exercising their authority.

In addition to Kim, the prosecution also sought prison terms for several other former high-ranking military officials. These include former 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade commander Lee Sang-hyun (15 years), former Defense Security Command investigation director Kim Dae-woo (12 years), former Intelligence Command planning chief Ko Dong-hee (10 years), former Central Newspaper Unit commander Kim Bong-gyu (12 years), former 100th Brigade 2nd Project Group commander Jeong Seong-wook (12 years), and former Ministry of National Defense Investigation Agency chief Park Heon-soo (10 years).