Comprehensive Special Counsel Indicts Col. Cho Sung-hyun Over 'Seogang Bridge Turnaround' on Insurrection Charges

The 2nd Comprehensive Special Counsel team led by Kwon Chang-young, which is investigating remaining allegations following the three major special counsels, has indicted former Capital Defense Command 1st Security Brigade Commander Cho Sung-hyun, who was known to have ordered troops moving toward the National Assembly during the Dec. 3 emergency martial law not to cross Seogang Bridge.

The comprehensive special counsel announced today (August 19) via a media briefing that Col. Cho had been indicted without detention on charges of participating in a critical mission of insurrection.

The special counsel concluded that Col. Cho participated in the insurrection by issuing orders for the 2nd Special Mission Battalion to deploy to the National Assembly, even while knowing that the martial law was illegal.

Although Col. Cho subsequently instructed the troops not to cross Seogang Bridge, the special counsel determined that this instruction was given because he judged that independent mission execution was impossible as special forces troops were withdrawing from the National Assembly at the time.

The special counsel also indicted former Ministry of National Defense Legal Affairs Bureau Chief Hong Chang-shik on charges of dereliction of duty, and former Republic of Korea Army Headquarters Legal Affairs Office Chief Kim Sang-hwan on charges of abetting insurrection.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
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