A Seoul court told AFP that the former head of South Korea’s intelligence agency, Cho Tae-yong, was arrested on Wednesday for neglecting to carry out his duties during the declaration of martial law last year.
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In December 2024, then-South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol sparked a political crisis by declaring martial law and sending soldiers to the parliament building to prevent parliamentarians from voting to abolish it.
His efforts failed and Yoon was arrested in January. In April, he was removed from office and faces charges of rebellion and other crimes linked to his actions.
In the case of Zhou, who was then head of the National Intelligence Service, special prosecutors requested his arrest, accusing him of neglecting his duties as head of the spy agency and endangering the destruction of evidence.
The Seoul Central District Court reviewed and approved the validity of the arrest warrant on Tuesday. The court said in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse, “The main accusation is negligence in the performance of duty.”
Prosecutors allege that Cho also failed to inform Parliament of the declaration of martial law despite “knowing it was illegal,” and accuse him of giving false testimony. “The possibility of his participation in the rebellion has increased,” Public Prosecutor Park Ji-young told reporters last week.
Cho’s arrest comes after prosecutors added another charge against Yoon for aiding the enemy, alleging he ordered drone flights over North Korea to justify declaring martial law.
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