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Arrested nat'l, Seoul police chiefs referred to prosecution

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Cho Ji-ho, center, commissioner-general of the Korean National Police Agency, arrives at the Seoul Central District Court for a court review of his arrest in connection with the botched martial law, Seoul, Dec. 13. Yonhap

Cho Ji-ho, center, commissioner-general of the Korean National Police Agency, arrives at the Seoul Central District Court for a court review of his arrest in connection with the botched martial law, Seoul, Dec. 13. Yonhap

The chiefs of the national police and the Seoul police arrested on charges of being involved in President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law imposition were transferred to the prosecution Friday for a possible indictment, police said.

Cho Ji-ho, commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, and Kim Bong-sik, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, were put under formal arrest on insurrection charges last Friday. They have been detained at the Seoul Namdaemun Police Station for questioning by police investigators.

Kim will be sent to a detention center under the direction of the prosecution. But Cho, who is battling blood cancer, will reportedly remain in the National Police Hospital for the time being.

Cho and Kim met with Yoon at a presidential safe house some three hours before the president declared martial law on Dec. 3. They are also accused of ordering police officers to block lawmakers from entering the National Assembly to vote down Yoon's martial law decree. (Yonhap)