A senior Army official has been demoted over his involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid last year, sources said Friday, facing a stronger disciplinary measure following a reevaluation.
The decision came after Prime Minister Kim Min-seok ordered the withdrawal of an earlier 10-day disciplinary measure against Brig. Gen. Kim Sang-hwan, the chief of the Army's legal affairs office, calling for a tougher punishment.
The defense ministry said it reconvened a disciplinary committee earlier in the day and handed out the heavy disciplinary measure on the grounds of violations of relevant legislation and duty of diligence.
Kim was one of the 34 people aboard a bus that departed for Seoul from the Army headquarters in Gyeryong, some 145 kilometers south of Seoul, shortly after the National Assembly voted to lift the martial law decree. They returned about 30 minutes after departure.
The military had initially imposed the second-lowest level of disciplinary action against Kim but reversed the decision following orders by the prime minister, who pointed out Kim's failure to fulfill his obligation to advise the martial law commander to immediately lift the decree.
Following the demotion, Kim, who had been scheduled for discharge on Sunday, will retire from service with the rank of colonel, sources familiar with the issue said. (Yonhap)
