Arrest warrants for former Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Jong-wook and former Planning and Coordination Director Ahn Seong-sik rejected
Arrest warrants for Kim Jong-wook and Ahn Seong-sik rejected, expanding the point of contention over suspicions of Coast Guard involvement in martial law Attention is on the direction of the special counsel's investigation and the determination of the charges
The Seoul Central District Court dismissed the arrest warrants for former Korea Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Jongwook and former Planning and Coordination Director Ahn Seongsik, who are suspected of involvement in the December 3 martial law declaration.
The court determined that there is room for dispute over the charges, and that given the progress of the investigation, the risk of evidence destruction or flight is not significant. The two are accused of having considered a plan to dispatch Coast Guard personnel to the Martial Law Command Joint Investigation Headquarters at the time martial law was declared.
The special counsel is investigating allegations that former Commissioner Kim ordered the dispatch of personnel, and that former Planning and Coordination Director Ahn ensured the Coast Guard would be automatically assigned to the Joint Investigation Headquarters through changes to internal regulations.