Special Prosecutor to Investigate Ex-Colonel, Former Prosecutor General Over 1979 Martial Law Events

South Korea's special prosecutor's office is set to interrogate former Army Capital Defense Command Colonel Cho Sung-hyun and ex-Prosecutor General Sim Woo-jung on Tuesday. The investigation centers on events surrounding a martial law declaration in December 1979.

Colonel Cho, who commanded the 1st Guard Battalion of the Capital Defense Command, faces scrutiny for allegedly relaying orders to move troops into the National Assembly. While Cho was previously lauded as a patriotic officer for ordering a retreat from the National Assembly during the chaotic martial law period, the special prosecutor's office stated they have secured crucial testimony suggesting his involvement in sedition.

Sim, the former Prosecutor General, is being investigated for allegedly reviewing plans to dispatch prosecutors to the martial law joint investigation headquarters. Reports indicate he discussed this possibility with former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae multiple times. A previous court ruling acknowledged that Sim received instructions from Park regarding the dispatch of prosecutors.

Furthermore, Sim Woo-jung is also implicated in allegations of attempting to quash investigations into First Lady Kim Keon-hee's alleged involvement in stock price manipulation and the "diaper bag" bribery scandal.