The government has canceled 198 awards given to individuals involved in the December 12 military coup, the May 18 pro-democracy movement suppression, martial law operations, and espionage fabrication cases.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on July 21 that it reviewed and approved the cancellation of these awards during the 31st Cabinet meeting, affecting 167 recipients.
Specifically, the cancellations include 76 military merit medals and decorations awarded to 76 individuals related to the December 12 military coup and the May 18 incident from 1980 to 1981, as well as 122 awards, including medals and presidential and prime ministerial citations, given to 91 individuals involved in espionage fabrication cases from the 1960s to the 1990s.
To rectify government awards given to those involved in unconstitutional acts and state violence, the government, in collaboration with the Defense Ministry, National Police Agency, and National Intelligence Service, reviewed the appropriateness of these awards. This process included notifying the individuals involved and holding a public review committee.
The canceled awards consist of 76 from the Defense Ministry, 36 from the National Police Agency, and 86 from the National Intelligence Service. Among the confirmed cancellations is the revocation of four awards received by Park Cheo-won (1927-2008), the former head of the National Police Agency's anti-communism investigation department, including one each of the Order of Merit and the Order of Civil Merit, as well as two presidential citations.
Additionally, one prime ministerial citation awarded to Lee Geun-an, known as a 'torture technician,' who passed away in March this year, has also been canceled.
The Defense Ministry had previously canceled the Chungmu Military Merit Medal awarded to ten individuals involved in the December 12 military coup in March and has now confirmed the cancellation of 76 additional awards that were improperly granted.
Of these, 42 individuals who were honored for 'contributions to national security' were found to lack the qualifications for receiving military merit medals, as they did not meet the criteria of 'performing duties equivalent to combat' or 'dedication and effort to national defense' required for the awards.
The Defense Ministry also determined that 34 individuals honored for 'contributions to martial law operations' had falsified achievements under the award law.
The imposition of martial law has been judicially evaluated as an act of constitutional disruption and insurrection, and the tasks performed by the martial law command and its subordinate units were deemed as aiding the illegal power seizure by the new military regime, thus disqualifying them from being recognized as achievements worthy of awards.
Since March, the National Police Agency has been conducting a comprehensive review of approximately 100,000 government awards given since its establishment, identifying awards related to illegal arrests, abuses, and suppression of the pro-democracy movement.
The 36 awards canceled by the National Police Agency include 15 medals, three decorations, 12 presidential citations, and six prime ministerial citations. The most numerous cancellations, totaling 29, are related to the 'Namminjeon (South Korean National Liberation Front) case,' in which over 80 individuals were arrested on charges of violating the National Security Law.
The Namminjeon case was confirmed to involve illegal detention and abuse in retrials in 2024 and 2025, leading to the acquittal of the defendants.
Also included in the cancellations are two awards related to the Samcheok fixed spy group case, three awards related to the Seoul National University Murim case, and one award each related to the Ham Ju-myung spy case and the Korean Christian Social Issues Research Institute case.
The National Police Agency has also requested the cancellation of 51 ministerial citations related to these cases from the relevant authorities.
Currently, the National Police Agency is in the process of canceling additional government awards related to unconstitutional acts, including the suppression of the May 18 pro-democracy movement and the Samcheok education.
The National Intelligence Service conducted its own review of government awards given to employees since the establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency at the end of March this year.
After reviewing retrial verdicts, reports from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the National Intelligence Service's truth commission, violations of investigation procedures and human rights abuses were confirmed in 19 cases, including 17 cases that were acquitted in retrials and two cases pointed out by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Intelligence Service.
The National Intelligence Service has requested the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to cancel 86 government awards given to 71 individuals related to the Japanese-Korean spy case, the Boseong family spy case, and the Jeju mother-daughter spy case.
This cancellation of government awards marks the third instance this year, following the revocation of 11 awards, including the Order of National Security, in January and ten military merit medals in March.
The National Police Agency and the National Intelligence Service have apologized to the victims and bereaved families affected by past unlawful exercises of public power and human rights violations.
The government plans to continue uncovering and canceling improperly awarded government honors related to unconstitutional acts and espionage fabrication cases.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on July 21 that it reviewed and approved the cancellation of these awards during the 31st Cabinet meeting, affecting 167 recipients.
Specifically, the cancellations include 76 military merit medals and decorations awarded to 76 individuals related to the December 12 military coup and the May 18 incident from 1980 to 1981, as well as 122 awards, including medals and presidential and prime ministerial citations, given to 91 individuals involved in espionage fabrication cases from the 1960s to the 1990s.
To rectify government awards given to those involved in unconstitutional acts and state violence, the government, in collaboration with the Defense Ministry, National Police Agency, and National Intelligence Service, reviewed the appropriateness of these awards. This process included notifying the individuals involved and holding a public review committee.
The canceled awards consist of 76 from the Defense Ministry, 36 from the National Police Agency, and 86 from the National Intelligence Service. Among the confirmed cancellations is the revocation of four awards received by Park Cheo-won (1927-2008), the former head of the National Police Agency's anti-communism investigation department, including one each of the Order of Merit and the Order of Civil Merit, as well as two presidential citations.
Additionally, one prime ministerial citation awarded to Lee Geun-an, known as a 'torture technician,' who passed away in March this year, has also been canceled.
The Defense Ministry had previously canceled the Chungmu Military Merit Medal awarded to ten individuals involved in the December 12 military coup in March and has now confirmed the cancellation of 76 additional awards that were improperly granted.
Of these, 42 individuals who were honored for 'contributions to national security' were found to lack the qualifications for receiving military merit medals, as they did not meet the criteria of 'performing duties equivalent to combat' or 'dedication and effort to national defense' required for the awards.
The Defense Ministry also determined that 34 individuals honored for 'contributions to martial law operations' had falsified achievements under the award law.
The imposition of martial law has been judicially evaluated as an act of constitutional disruption and insurrection, and the tasks performed by the martial law command and its subordinate units were deemed as aiding the illegal power seizure by the new military regime, thus disqualifying them from being recognized as achievements worthy of awards.
Since March, the National Police Agency has been conducting a comprehensive review of approximately 100,000 government awards given since its establishment, identifying awards related to illegal arrests, abuses, and suppression of the pro-democracy movement.
The 36 awards canceled by the National Police Agency include 15 medals, three decorations, 12 presidential citations, and six prime ministerial citations. The most numerous cancellations, totaling 29, are related to the 'Namminjeon (South Korean National Liberation Front) case,' in which over 80 individuals were arrested on charges of violating the National Security Law.
The Namminjeon case was confirmed to involve illegal detention and abuse in retrials in 2024 and 2025, leading to the acquittal of the defendants.
Also included in the cancellations are two awards related to the Samcheok fixed spy group case, three awards related to the Seoul National University Murim case, and one award each related to the Ham Ju-myung spy case and the Korean Christian Social Issues Research Institute case.
The National Police Agency has also requested the cancellation of 51 ministerial citations related to these cases from the relevant authorities.
Currently, the National Police Agency is in the process of canceling additional government awards related to unconstitutional acts, including the suppression of the May 18 pro-democracy movement and the Samcheok education.
The National Intelligence Service conducted its own review of government awards given to employees since the establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency at the end of March this year.
After reviewing retrial verdicts, reports from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and the National Intelligence Service's truth commission, violations of investigation procedures and human rights abuses were confirmed in 19 cases, including 17 cases that were acquitted in retrials and two cases pointed out by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the National Intelligence Service.
The National Intelligence Service has requested the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to cancel 86 government awards given to 71 individuals related to the Japanese-Korean spy case, the Boseong family spy case, and the Jeju mother-daughter spy case.
This cancellation of government awards marks the third instance this year, following the revocation of 11 awards, including the Order of National Security, in January and ten military merit medals in March.
The National Police Agency and the National Intelligence Service have apologized to the victims and bereaved families affected by past unlawful exercises of public power and human rights violations.
The government plans to continue uncovering and canceling improperly awarded government honors related to unconstitutional acts and espionage fabrication cases.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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