The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's comprehensive special investigation team indicted Cho Sung-hyun, the former commander of the Capital Defense Command, on Friday. The team also re-indicted, without detention, three high-ranking military officers, including former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Chung Myung-chul and former Army Chief of Staff Lee Jin-woo, on charges of destroying evidence related to the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster. Prosecutors also decided to indict 14 others, including former presidential security adviser Kim Moo-seong and Rep. Kim Chong-in of the Democratic Party, on charges of dereliction of duty. The indictments came after the Constitutional Court nullified the team's previous indictments of the 17 individuals in 2018, citing a lack of jurisdiction. The court ruled that the special investigation team, established under the prosecutors' office, was not authorized to indict high-ranking government officials. Friday's indictments may affect the second trial of Lee Jin-woo and others, who were previously acquitted of charges related to the military's botched response to the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office said it will review the case and seek an opinion from the Supreme Court if necessary. The case involves allegations that high-ranking military and government officials, including former President Park Geun-hye, intervened in the military's investigation into the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster. The disaster killed 304 people, most of them high school students. The special investigation team has been reinvestigating the case since the Constitutional Court's ruling.
A high-profile trial is underway for former President Yoon Suk-yeol, accused of inciting a coup, with key figures testifying as witnesses. The military commander, Ju Jin-woo, testified that he received orders from President Yoon to send army personnel to the National Assembly on the day of the state of emergency declaration on December 3, 2024.
He claimed he had received no prior warning about the state of emergency and no instructions from President Yoon to bring lawmakers to the National Assembly. Ju Jin-woo denied receiving any orders from Ju Dong-seong, the former military commandant, contradicting previous statements by Ju Dong-seong. This contradicts the previous ruling that sentenced Ju Jin-woo to 30 years in prison for participating in the coup.
The credibility of Ju Jin-woo's testimony, which was used as key evidence in the prosecution of the coup, is now being questioned by the former military commandant.
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