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Special counsel probing Dec. 3 questions former defense intelligence chief for first time

Published: 04 Aug. 2025, 16:58 Updated: 04 Aug. 2025, 18:34

Noh Sang-won, former chief of the Defense Intelligence Command, is being transferred to prosecutors from the Seobu Police Precinct in northern Seoul, on Dec. 24, 2024, over allegations that he conspired in advance to impose martial law on Dec. 3. [NEWS1]

Former Defense Intelligence Commander Noh Sang-won was questioned for the first time on Monday by the special counsel team investigating former President Yoon Suk Yeol's alleged insurrection and foreign aggression charges.

Noh appeared before the special counsel’s office in southern Seoul on Monday morning as a witness.

Investigators reportedly summoned Noh over suspicion of aiding and abetting insurrection.

At a press briefing in the afternoon, Assistant Special Counsel Park Ji-young said the team is investigating Noh's alleged complicity in insurrection involving a third party who spoke with Noh during specific times, based on phone records.

“We are investigating suspicions of aiding and abetting insurrection involving an unidentified third party who had phone calls with Noh during particular periods,” Park said. “We are still working to identify this individual. People often use burner phones when engaging in secretive activity. Our focus is on determining the connection between Noh and individuals he contacted around the time of the alleged acts.”

Investigators suspect that Noh met with active-duty military officials, including then-Defense Intelligence Commander Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho, at a Lotteria in Ansan, Gyeonggi, on Dec. 3 last year to discuss plans to declare martial law, occupy the National Election Commission and establish an alternative investigative unit known internally as the “Second Investigation Corps.”

He was indicted and arrested on charges of plotting to execute these plans.

Noh is also the author of the so-called “Noh Sang-won notebook,” which allegedly contains phrases such as “Provoke North Korea near the Northern Limit Line,” “How to make contact — what to give up,” “Collect 500 people” and “Retrieval,” raising suspicion of an attempt to provoke military conflict with the North.

The special counsel has assigned a dedicated team to examine the notebook and is planning to question Noh on how it was created and whether he played a role in orchestrating incidents aimed at triggering a North Korean response.

Investigators are focusing on whether operations, including a leaflet drop by drones operated by the Drone Operations Command and low-altitude maneuvers by armed helicopters from the Army Aviation Command near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the Yellow Sea, were designed to provoke North Korea. The special counsel is examining Noh's potential involvement in planning these missions.

"The team could have questions related to foreign aggression during the summons, but Noh's attorney declined to cooperate on that matter," Park said.

Investigators visited a fortune-teller known as “Lady Bidan” in Gunsan, North Jeolla, on July 30.

Noh reportedly consulted the woman multiple times ahead of the martial law deliberations and asked her to divine outcomes based on photos of high-ranking military personnel. The team is probing why Noh sought spiritual guidance and is reviewing her connections to Noh's inner circle.

Noh has refused to comment in prior questioning on the notebook’s existence, its contents or purpose.

The special counsel plans to consolidate its investigative efforts to uncover the truth of the martial law planning and the alleged insurrection by examining the notebook's contents, surrounding circumstances and the context of Noh's contact with the shaman.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY SUK GYEONG-MIN [[email protected]]