Jijaksa, 'Separate Tear Gas Inspection' Just Before Martial Law... Investigation into Rebellion Should Expand

[Financial News] It has been claimed that the Army Ground Operations Command (Jijaksa) unofficially investigated the stock of tear gas for suppression in subordinate units in November last year, ahead of the declaration of martial law. The Military Human Rights Center viewed this as a preparation for suppressing civilian protests and urged an investigation into those involved.
The Military Human Rights Center held a press conference on the 18th and stated, "The Jijaksa Military Police Corps made phone calls to corps and division military police units between November 18 and 22 last year to ascertain the stock of tear gas and launchers," according to a report. It was pointed out that while ammunition status investigations are usually conducted through official documents, at that time, the investigation was conducted only by phone without documents.
Jijaksa is a field command that spans from the capital area to the front lines, serving as a core unit for wartime operations.
The Military Human Rights Center argued, "It is unusual for a unit with such firepower to inspect weapons for suppressing protests," and "given that martial law was being discussed at the time, the possibility of actual martial law preparation is high." The center also identified Kang Ho-pil, the Jijaksa commander, as a figure appearing in memos related to martial law plans. In this regard, they emphasized, "If it is confirmed that he directly ordered it, the investigation into rebellion should be expanded."
In response, the Army explained, "Neither Jijaksa nor Commander Kang ordered the inspection." However, they added, "In November last year, the Army Headquarters sent official documents to each corps to submit opinions on the basic carrying amount of tear gas for wartime preparation."
The Military Human Rights Center demanded the exclusion of Commander Kang from his duties, the initiation of a forced investigation, and the suspension of military personnel, expressing concern that "if personnel suspected of being involved in martial law are still in key positions, military trust may be shaken."

425_sama@fnnews.com Choi Seung-han Reporter