By Lee Min-huyng
A military-civilian joint taskforce is intensifying its investigation into leaders of military units whose names were stated in a controversial document specifying the imposition of martial law.
According to the document, the Defense Security Command (DSC) planned to mobilize troops from a total of 15 military units last year to quell pro-democracy protestors last year if the Constitutional Court rejected former President Park Geun-hye's impeachment.
The taskforce said Thursday it had completed questioning commanders from 10 of the units in the latest scandal surrounding the military intelligence unit and plans to soon interview the rest.
The widening investigation came as the joint team is seeking to find out who masterminded the military plan. It plans to release the results of the probe in mid-September.
With the scandal setting off a strong public frenzy, the Ministry of National Defense is dismantling the DSC and will launch a wholly new unit following orders from President Moon Jae-in.
Earlier this week, the ministry abolished the legal basis to support the existence of the DSC and plans to launch the new Defense Security Support Command next month. The new unit has limited authority to minimize any potential for it to interfere in politics.
The ongoing investigation, however, is facing setbacks, as then-DSC chief Cho Hyun-chun has so far refused to return from the United States to undergo questioning.
The joint team has asked Cho's family members to get him to voluntary comply with the investigation.
Investigators searched the home of then-Defense Minister Han Min-goo earlier this month, and on Tuesday, raided offices of the DSC and its research organization.