Former, incumbent military intelligence officers planned martial law operations over burgers: police

Former and incumbent military intelligence officers discussed martial law operation plans while having burgers at a fast-food restaurant two days before the plans were executed, police investigating the case have said.

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Noh Sang-won, former commander of the Defense Intelligence Command (DIC), shared the plans with Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho, the incumbent DIC chief, and two other colonels from the same command, at a Lotteria in Ansan, southwest of Seoul, on Dec. 1, according to the National Office of Investigation (NOI).

Police have reportedly obtained the surveillance footage of the four men talking while eating burgers.

Noh and Moon are under investigation over their alleged roles in the botched martial law imposition by President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Noh was placed under formal arrest late Wednesday after the Seoul Central District Court issued a warrant for him, citing the possibility of Noh tampering with evidence and attempting to flee.

Earlier in the day, Noh waived a court hearing that would have reviewed whether to issue the warrant.

Meanwhile, the NOI and the anti-corruption body took Moon into custody the same day.

“It has been confirmed that former Commander Noh had discussions related to martial law with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and associates linked to the Intelligence Command,” the NOI said in a notice to media on Tuesday.

One of the two colonels reportedly admitted during police questioning that Noh handpicked the officers to send them to the National Election Commission to seize the network servers as evidence for what Yoon alleges to be election rigging by the opposition. Moon is accused of carrying out Noh’s orders.

Police believe that Noh has played a key role in the martial law attempt, including drafting the martial law decree and discussing action plans with then Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. Noh is known as a close aide to Kim.