The second special prosecutor team, led by Kwon Chang-young, has decided not to prosecute Joo Seong-woon, the former commander of the Army's Ground Operations Command, over allegations that he condoned his subordinate's involvement in martial law during the emergency declaration on December 3.
On July 29, the special prosecutors announced their decision not to file charges against Joo for dereliction of duty, although they did not disclose specific reasons for the decision.
Joo served as the commander of the First Army Corps during the emergency martial law period. He faced allegations that he either knew about or condoned the involvement of his subordinate, Gu Sam-hwi, the former commander of the Second Armored Brigade, and failed to order his return to the unit.
Gu was reportedly assigned by Noh Sang-won, the former director of the Military Intelligence Command, to investigate allegations of election fraud by the Central Election Commission. It is believed he took leave before the martial law was declared and was waiting at a unit under the intelligence command in Pangyo, Seongnam.
The Ministry of National Defense based its decision to exclude Joo from duty in February on evidence that he had communicated with Gu during the martial law period. They later determined that Joo's failure to dissuade Gu from participating in the martial law constituted a breach of his duty of sincerity, resulting in a two-month suspension imposed earlier this month.
Joo left the military on July 14, in accordance with regulations that require the retirement of generals who do not receive assignments for a certain period.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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