Special counsel requests 3-yr sentence for retired general in martial law probe

Noh Sang-won, center, former commander of the Defense Intelligence Command, is referred to the prosecution from a police station, Dec. 24, 2024. Yonhap

A special counsel team on Monday demanded an imprisonment of three years for retired Army Maj. Gen. Noh Sang-won indicted for collecting the personal information of military intelligence officers in connection with last year's martial law.

Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team made the request during Noh's hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, arguing his collection of military officers' personal information was a preemptive preparation for former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law imposition last December.

Noh, a former commander of the Defense Intelligence Command (DIC), is accused of receiving military intelligence, including personal information of DIC agents, from military commanders between September and December last year in order to create an organization to investigate allegations of election fraud.

The special counsel team also suspects that Noh accepted 20 million won ($13,700) in cash and department store gift certificates worth a total of 6 million won between August and September last year from a brigadier general and a colonel in exchange for his promise to help their promotions.

Noh's lawyers asked at the hearing that Noh be found not guilty on all charges, arguing that he is just a civilian with no authority over the deployment and selection of DIC agents. They said the military information was not collected through illegal means and he just delivered the information to a military unit by the order of former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.

The special counsel team also requested that 23.9 million won and department store gift certificates Noh had received from military officers be forfeited.

The court said it will hold the sentencing hearing for Noh at 2 p.m. on Dec. 15. It will be the first court sentence among cases indicted by Cho's team.