The second special counsel team, led by Kwon Chang-young, which is investigating remaining allegations following the three major special counsel probes, has moved to secure the detention of the former Korea Coast Guard (KCG) commissioner general and a senior official regarding the agency's alleged involvement in the martial law declaration.
The special counsel team announced on Wednesday (July 1) that it has requested arrest warrants for former KCG Commissioner General Kim Jong-wook and former KCG Planning and Coordination Officer Ahn Sung-sik on charges of abetting insurrection and abuse of power.
Kim and others are accused of convening a video conference of regional commanders following the declaration of martial law to discuss matters such as the deployment of investigative personnel for the formation of a joint investigation headquarters.
Circumstances have also been identified suggesting that after the meeting, Ahn issued an order to "empty and prepare detention facilities, as it is expected that many martial law offenders will be brought in."
Ahn, who attended the same Choong-am High School as former President Yoon Suk Yeol, was the first KCG official to be dispatched to the presidential transition committee while serving as the head of the criminal investigation division at the KCG headquarters in March 2022.
He was promoted twice in two years, moving from senior superintendent to superintendent general in 2023, and to chief superintendent general last year.
The previous special counsel team investigating the insurrection allegations had cleared Ahn of charges after conducting raids and summons, concluding that the allegations were not sufficiently substantiated.
However, the subsequently launched comprehensive special counsel team resumed the investigation, determining that there were acts of complicity with the martial law declaration during the meeting of officials held immediately after it was proclaimed.
The team expanded the scope of its investigation on June 10 by questioning former Commissioner General Kim as a suspect.
(Photo: Provided by Korea Coast Guard, Yonhap News)