Defense intel chief dismissed from military over martial law declaration, on trial for insurrection

Former Defense Intelligence Command chief Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho was dismissed from the military over his involvement in the Dec. 3, 2024 martial law declaration. He is now on trial in a military court for conspiracy to commit insurrection.

Former Defense Intelligence Command chief Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho attends a parliamentary audit of the Defense Intelligence Headquarters held by the National Assembly Intelligence Committee at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Oct. 30, 2025. [NEWS1]

Former Defense Intelligence Command chief Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho was dismissed from the military over his involvement in the Dec. 3, 2024 martial law declaration and is now standing trial in a military court on charges including conspiracy to commit insurrection.

The Ministry of National Defense announced Friday that Moon was given a severe disciplinary measure — dismissal — for violating obligations to comply with the law, to act in good faith and to safeguard classified information, in connection with the martial law plan.

The dismissal is the harshest level of disciplinary action and permanently bars him from holding public office. He is also forced into retirement and removed from military roles, as well as receiving a 50 percent reduction in severance pay and forfeiture of retirement allowances.

As a result, Moon is expected to join other high-ranking officers in appearing before the Seoul Central District Court in uniform-less attire. These include former Defense Counterintelligence Command chief Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung, former Capital Defense Command chief Lt. Gen. Lee Jin-woo and former Special Warfare Command chief Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-geun, all of whom have been indicted and detained on similar charges.

The ministry convened a disciplinary committee to determine punishments for the three generals on Dec. 19. Yeo and Lee were also dismissed for violating the same obligations. Kwak, who had cooperated with authorities and testified in court and before the Constitutional Court, was given the lighter penalty of removal from office, rather than dismissal.

Armed martial law troops retreat from the National Assembly, western Seoul, after lawmakers voted to call off martial law on Dec. 4, 2024. [NEWS1]

Moon was already detained and facing trial on charges including conspiracy to commit insurrection, disclosure of classified military information and perjury. In December, he was additionally arrested for leaking military secrets, extending his detention period, which was initially set to end Sunday, through July.

Investigators found that on Dec. 3, 2024 — the day of the martial law declaration — Moon deployed Defense Intelligence Command personnel to operate arrest squads targeting politicians and election commission officials, and directed them to seize the commission’s computer networks.

He is also accused of meeting with former intelligence commander Noh Sang-won and Colonels Kim Bong-kyu and Jeong Seong-uk on Dec. 1, two days before the declaration, to conspire in advance to impose martial law.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY CHO MUN-GYU [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]