The South Korean police reported this Monday about the discovery of a Noh Sang-won notebookformer head of Defense Intelligence Command (DIC), which contains annotations related to the declaration of the martial law and strategies to justify it, including the alleged provocation of an attack by the regime Kim Jong-un.
The document was seized at Noh’s home, located in Then30 kilometers southwest of Seoul.
Among the annotations found in the notebook, of about 60 pages, a line stands out that says: “provoke a Northern attack on the NLL”. The reference points to the Northern Limit Line (NLL, for its acronym in English), a maritime border in the Yellow Sea that separates the two Koreas and is a recurring focus of tensions, since Pyongyang does not recognize this demarcation.
Noh, who was a close collaborator of the former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyuncurrently detained, is accused of having participated in the planning of the martial law declared on December 3 by the ousted president Yoon Suk-yeol. According to the police, other notes in the notebook suggest measures such as “close the National Assembly” to prevent lawmakers from voting against martial law, in addition to containing a list of public figures, including politicians, journalists, union leaders and judges, who would be “objectives to apprehend”.
Although authorities have not confirmed that concrete actions were taken to provoke an attack from North Korea, the memo reinforces the dissidents’ accusations. According to the opponent Democratic Party (PS), the sending of South Korean drones with propaganda detected by Pyongyang in October would be an example of former Minister Kim Yong-hyun’s attempts to incite a North’s military response.
Noh’s figure has gained notoriety since it was revealed that he participated in meetings prior to the declaration of martial law. According to the police, the December 1 met at a fast food restaurant with collaborators, including the current DIC commander Moon Sang-hoto discuss plans related to the exception measure.
Additionally, it has been learned that Noh, who received a dishonorable discharge from the military in 2018 for sexual harassmental, lived and worked in a divination center in Ansan along with three other psychics. This detail has intensified criticism of the Yoon Administration for his alleged connections with shamans and occultists.
The declaration of martial law has plunged South Korea into a political crisis. Parliament dismissed President Yoon Suk-yeol, who now awaits the ruling of the Constitutional Court to determine if his definitive termination is confirmed. Meanwhile, investigations continue into the alleged crimes of abuse of power, insurrection and planning a state of emergency.
At PKorean police Sur also launched an investigation into the phone records of the president dismissed by Parliament, Yoon Suk-yeol, in relation to the failed attempt to declare the martial law last December 3rd. The authorities indicated that they are investigating the communications between Yoon and those allegedly involved in the imposition of the measure, with the aim of clarifying the details of this attempt.
As part of the investigation, security forces are also trying to access the secure phone used by the deposed president and the records of the Presidential Security Servicel. According to official sources, the police obtained a document that Yoon gave to the Minister of Finance, Choi Sang-mokduring a cabinet meeting prior to the request for martial law. The content of the document includes proposals aimed at reducing the expenses of the National Assembly and guaranteeing the approval of the budget under the state of emergency.
(With information from EFE)
