Seoul, Nov 25 South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok called Tuesday for properly judging those involved in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived imposition of martial law, saying there are concerns the judiciary process is moving too slowly.
Kim made the remark during a Cabinet meeting ahead of the one-year mark for Yoon’s surprise declaration of martial law on December 3, Yonhap news agency reported.
“I hope you will once again bear heavily in mind the people’s order to swiftly and surely clean up the insurrection and move forward toward growth and a leap,” he said, casting the martial law attempt as an insurrection.
“There must be no compromise or delay whatsoever in judging and cleaning up the insurrection,” he said, citing what he said are concerns among the people that the process is moving too slowly or in the wrong direction based on what is seen in the trials of those implicated.
“We must uphold the people’s will. The executive branch will fulfill its responsibility in order to do its part,” he added.
Kim was apparently referring to recent cases where courts denied arrest warrants for suspects accused of involvement in Yoon’s imposition of martial law and the refusal by some to testify before investigators or judges.
Earlier in November, a South Korea court dismissed former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Cho Tae-yong’s petition against his arrest, keeping him in custody over his alleged involvement in former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s imposition of martial law.
The Seoul Central District Court issued the ruling after holding a hearing the previous day on whether Cho’s arrest was legal and should remain in place.
The former spy chief had filed the petition following his arrest on charges of NIS law violations, dereliction of duty, perjury, destruction of evidence, creation of false official documents and false testimony at parliament, all in connection with the December 3 martial law declaration.
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