South Korea Investigates Alleged Intelligence Operations Ahead of Disputed Martial Law Declaration

Investigations are underway in South Korea regarding alleged unusual training exercises conducted by the Defense Intelligence Command (DIC) in the months leading up to the controversial December 3, 2024, declaration of martial law. Concerns have surfaced that these exercises may have been orchestrated to create a pretext for imposing martial law, though initial investigations were inconclusive.

Allegations of Provocation Training

According to reports, the DIC conducted training exercises focused on North Korean infiltration scenarios from March to November 2024. These exercises involved specialized units, including the Special Operations Unit (HID), and utilized unconventional methods such as submersibles and powered paragliding. Investigators are examining whether these exercises differed significantly from standard HID training protocols.

Former Intelligence Commander Moon Sang-ho reportedly oversaw the North Korean training directly. Reports indicate he expressed frustration when powered paragliding infiltration attempts repeatedly failed due to weather conditions, questioning why success hadn’t been achieved closer to the martial law declaration.

Previous Investigations and Ongoing Scrutiny

The initial investigation, led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok, was hampered by the expiration of the investigation period before all aspects of the training could be fully examined. The team suspected the exercises were designed to “induce the North Wind”—a reference to creating a security crisis to justify martial law—but could not definitively confirm this.

Instead, the initial investigation focused on allegations that former President Yoon Seok-yeol and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun authorized a drone infiltration operation into Pyongyang to bolster the legitimacy of a potential martial law declaration. Both were sent to trial on charges of general embezzlement.

Modern Investigation Launched

Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young, who succeeded Cho Eun-seok, has initiated a new investigation into the DIC’s training activities. The scope of this investigation includes the possibility of submarine infiltration attempts by intelligence agencies, as outlined in the 2nd Comprehensive Special Prosecutor’s Office Act.

Democratic Party member Park Seon-won previously stated that HID had prepared “lethal weapons such as explosives and submarines” with the intention of provoking a response from North Korea prior to the martial law declaration.

Dismissal and Trials Related to Martial Law

Major General Moon Sang-ho, the former commander of the Defense Intelligence Command, was dismissed from the military for his involvement in the December 3, 2024, martial law declaration and is currently on trial for conspiracy to commit insurrection. Other high-ranking officials, including former Defense Counterintelligence Command chief Lieutenant General Yeo In-hyung, former Capital Defense Command chief Lieutenant General Lee Jin-woo, and former Special Warfare Command chief Lieutenant General, are also facing legal proceedings.