South Korean military leaders sentenced in martial law insurrection case

South Korean courts have issued prison sentences to several former military commanders involved in the December 3 martial law incident. Kim Hyun-tae, former commander of the 707th Special Mission Group, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in the insurrection. Lee Sang-hyun, former commander of the 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade, received 10 years, while Kim Dae-woo, former head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command's investigation unit, was sentenced to 5 years. The court ordered the immediate detention of these commanders, citing risks of flight and evidence destruction.

In a separate proceeding, Kim Tae-hyo, former First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, denied all charges during his first court appearance. Kim is accused of participating in insurrectionary duties and abuse of power by sending messages to allied nations to justify the martial law declaration. His defense argued that the actions were routine diplomatic communications performed under presidential orders and were unrelated to the physical blockade of the National Assembly. The special prosecution team plans to expand the charges to include insurrectionary duties, arguing that the insurrectionary period lasted until the impeachment motion against the president was passed.