In Seoul, a court denied former National Intelligence Service director Cho Tae‑yong’s request to end his detention, meaning he will remain in custody over his alleged role in President Yoon Suk‑Yeol’s martial‑law decision.
The Seoul Central District Court met on Monday after hearing arguments about whether Cho’s arrest was lawful. He was arrested last Wednesday on a slate of charges, including violating NIS rules, dereliction of duty, perjury, destroying evidence, forging documents and lying in parliament, all linked to the December‑3 declaration of martial law.
Cho’s lawyers argued that the state already collected most of the evidence through raids and witness interviews, so keeping him inside was unnecessary. They also highlighted his declining health as a reason to free him. The court, however, found those arguments unconvincing and upheld the arrest.
The former spy chief was a close ally of President Yoon and is accused of failing to inform the National Assembly about the martial‑law plan before Yoon addressed the nation. Prosecutors also claim Cho denied seeing the martial‑law decree in the presidential office, even though security footage shows Cabinet officials receiving the documents and Cho handling one of them.
Under the NIS Act, the director must report to both the president and the National Assembly when a national‑security issue arises. A fresh investigation now delves into whether Cho’s testimony at the Assembly and the Constitutional Court was fabricated. The case remains a key development in South Korea’s political landscape.
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