First Trial of High-Ranking NIS Officials Charged with Insurrection Conducted Privately

The first trial of high-ranking officials from the National Intelligence Service (NIS), charged with involvement in an insurrection during the martial law period, is being conducted privately.

On October 30, the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 38-2, presided over by Judge Jeong Soo-young, held the initial preparatory hearing for the case involving former NIS Director Cho Tae-yong, former First Deputy Director Hong Jang-won, former Second Deputy Director Hwang Won-jin, and former Planning and Coordination Director Kim Nam-woo, who are accused of engaging in significant duties related to insurrection.

The preparatory hearing is a procedure to discuss future evidence and argument plans before the main trial, and the defendants are not required to attend. Consequently, Cho and Hong did not appear in court.

The Special Prosecutor's Office, which is investigating the case, submitted a motion for a closed hearing the day before. The court accepted the request and transitioned to a private session shortly after the trial began.

The court noted, "Many of the issues to be discussed are related to NIS employees, and if the identities of those who need protection are exposed, it could pose a risk to national security." It also mentioned that if most witnesses are NIS employees, it may be necessary to discuss the need for continued privacy during the witness examination process.

Cho is accused of broadly instructing employees to act according to the Eulji Training (a drill for wartime, emergencies, and crises) during the martial law period and justifying the martial law to foreign intelligence cooperation agencies in South Korea.

Hong is accused of convening a meeting of department heads on the day of the martial law declaration, establishing communication networks with the Military Counterintelligence Command and the National Police Agency, and directing personnel to be dispatched to the police situation room.

Hwang is charged with reviewing the dispatch of personnel to the martial law command's joint investigation headquarters and selecting targets for national security investigations, while Kim is accused of directing the selection of personnel to be dispatched to the martial law situation room.

Among them, Hong played a crucial role as a whistleblower during the impeachment trial and investigation phase concerning former President Yoon Suk-yeol after the martial law was declared. He testified before the Constitutional Court and the National Assembly, revealing that he was instructed by a politician to "arrest everyone" and informed Cho about it, but claimed that Cho intentionally ignored the directive.

Previously, the special prosecutor's team investigating the martial law allegations decided not to prosecute Hong, who acted as an internal whistleblower.

However, the comprehensive special prosecutor's office later charged Hong as a suspect and indicted him without detention on charges of engaging in significant duties related to insurrection and violating the National Intelligence Service Act (abuse of power).