Yeo In-hyung

Last updated
Yeo In-hyung
여인형
Lieutenant General Yeo In-hyung.png
Yeo in 2024
Personal details
Born1969 (age 55–56)
North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea
Other political
affiliations		 Chungam Faction (since 2022)
Children2
Education Chungam High School
Korea Military Academy
Military service
Branch/service Republic of Korea Army
Years of service1992–2025
Rank Lieutenant general
Korean name
Hangul
여인형
Hanja
呂寅兄
RR yeoinhyeong
MR yŏinhyŏng

Yeo In-hyung [a] (born 1969) is a South Korean former three-star army lieutenant general who served as the Commander of the Defense Counterintelligence Command from 2023 to 2025. Yeo served in the Republic of Korea Army from 1992 until he was placed on leave in 2025.

Contents

In 2023, Yeo became a heavily controversial figure within the military and government. He was widely criticized when it was discovered he idolized former dictator Chun Doo-hwan and his successor Roh Tae-woo, as he hung up pictures of the two in the hallway of the Counterintelligence Agency's headquarters. [1] This, and the fact that Yeo held gatherings in private settings with key military figures who graduated from Chungam High School, he and President Yoon Suk Yeol's alma mater, led to rumors that Yeo's appointment as Defense Counterintelligence Commander was apart of a potential strategy to center the military around President Yoon's personal agenda. [2]

On 3 December 2024, President Yoon ultimately declared emergency martial law across the nation. Following the declaration, Yeo gave the National Intelligence Service a list of individuals that he, President Yoon, and Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun wanted arrested. Yeo then ordered several operatives from the Intelligence Protection Group of the Defense Security Command to raid the server room located on the second floor of the National Election Commission headquarters. The martial law order was lifted by the National Assembly only a few hours later.

After the martial law order was lifted, Yeo's Defense Counterintelligence Commander duties were suspended by the Ministry of Justice. On 14 December, Yeo was arrested for his role in the declaration on charges of insurrection, obstruction of justice, and abuse of power. On 6 February 2025, a leave of absence from prosecution was issued against Yeo by the military for his imprisonment. His trial began on 8 July, where he confessed to the charges of leading an insurrection and abuse of power, but not obstruction of justice, claiming to have heavily regretted his involvement in the declaration. Yeo likely faces either life imprisonment or the death penalty if found guilty on all counts.

Life and education

Yeo In-hyung was born in 1969 in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. He graduated Chungam High School in 1988, and entered the Korea Military Academy shortly thereafter. Just like Capital Defense Commander Lee Jin-woo, he graduated the academy's 48th class in 1992, where he served in the Republic of Korea Army until he was dishonorably discharged in 2025.

Yeo allegedly met and became friends with future-Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun shortly after graduating the military academy. This likely was what led to Yeo becoming a member of the Chungam Faction decades later in 2022. [2]

Career

In December 2019, Yeo was promoted to brigadier general. In December 2022, he was appointed as the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Chief Directorate of Operations. In November 2023, He was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed as Defense Counterintelligence Commander.

In October 2024, Yeo hung up pictures of Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo in the hallway of the Counterintelligence Agency's headquarters, a decision met with much controversy. Choo Mi-ae stated; "Unless the Counterintelligence Agency is nostalgic for the days of the Security Command in the 1980s, the pictures should be removed immediately." [1]

Involvement in the 2024 martial law crisis

Early planning of martial law

In late December 2023, Yoon allegedly first mentioned "taking emergency action" to address "difficult social issues" in referring to martial law. At the end of March 2024, the then-Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, concerned about the implementation of martial law, called Kim Yong-hyun and Yeo in private to discuss blocking a potential martial law order. [3] Investigations revealed that Yoon met with Kim Yong-hyun, Yeo, and others about 10 times since March 2024 to discuss the imposition of martial law. [4] The three started mentioning martial law more often following the PPP's defeat in the April 2024 legislative election. [5] Eventually, Shin was shuffled out of the role of Defense Minister to become Director of the Office of National Security, while Kim Yong-hyun was selected to replace Shin in September 2024.

During Kim's confirmation hearing on 2 September 2024, Kim Yong-hyun would be questioned by Representative Choo Mi-ae about his ties with Yeo, as they both attended Chungam High School. She would point out that Yeo had received numerous promotions during Yoon's term, stating; "General Yeo In-hyung is being promoted too quickly. He will probably reach full general rank by the end of Yoon Suk Yeol's term." Choo then asked Kim if Yeo's constant promotions were apart of a strategy to center the military around Yoon's personal agenda, which Kim denied. [2]

Choo also alleged that Yoon appointing Kim as Defense Minister after appointing Yeo as Defense Counterintelligence Commander was apart of a potential imposition of martial law, claiming that the idea of two graduates of the same alma mater serving as Defense Minister and Defense Counterintelligence Commander was suspicious, and that such an occurrence "has never happened before." Kim disagreed, claiming; "In the past, there have been cases where the Defense Minister and Defense Counterintelligence Commander were from the same high school." [6]

In November 2024, the DCC had prepared documents and other related material on declaring martial law following orders from Yeo. [7]

Events

On 3 December 2024, at 22:27, Yoon declared emergency martial law across the nation during a televised address. In his declaration, Yoon accused the Democratic Party (DPK), which has a majority in the National Assembly, of conducting "anti-state activities" and collaborating with "North Korean communists" to destroy the country, thereby creating a "legislative dictatorship". The order prohibited political activities, including gatherings of the National Assembly and local legislatures, and suspended the free press.

Following the declaration, at 22:28, Yeo later gave National Intelligence Service (NIS) Deputy Director Hong Jang-won a list of individuals targeted for arrest which Hong could not recall completely: [8]

Yeo reportedly outlined plans to arrest first and second-tier targets in phases, detain them at DCC facilities, and conduct investigations. [8]

Soon after, several operatives from the Intelligence Protection Group of the DCC [9] with firearms and uniforms that were missing unit insignias and patches [10] raided the server room located on the second floor of the NEC headquarters [11] [12] while the Special Warfare Command troops [13] and National Police officers from Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency provided perimeter security at the building. Yeo was later revealed to have been behind the raid. [14] Yeo made a call to KNP Commissioner Cho Ji-ho about the NEC headquarters raid and Cho started supplying police forces for the troops. [15]

The National Assembly commenced the emergency session at 00:48 on 4 December. [16] At 01:02, [17] [18] with 190 of 300 lawmakers present, they voted unanimously to lift martial law. [19] Once the martial law order was lifted, Yeo requested the DCC to "destroy a series of documents" related to the declaration, which was rejected.

Trial

Pre-trial

During prosecution questioning, Yeo denied having any involvement in the declaration. On 6 December, following subsequent investigations, Yeo's Defense Counterintelligence Commander duties were suspended by the Ministry of Justice. He was additionally travel barred the same day, following rumors he planned to destroy evidence before fleeing the country. [20]

On 9 December, Police Commissioner Cho testified before the Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly that he had received a call from DCC Commander Yeo sometime between 22:30 and 22:40 on 3 December, asking him to track the locations of politicians and others to carry out their arrests. The list of targets was consistent with what NIS Deputy Director Hong had revealed the previous week, except PPP leader Han Dong-hoon was added to the list later. Commissioner Cho stated that he ignored the orders, on grounds that location tracking itself was illegal and that court-issued arrest warrants were required to carry out arrests. [21]

On 14 December, Yeo was arrested for his role in the declaration on charges of insurrection, obstruction of justice, and abuse of power. On 6 February 2025, a leave of absence from prosecution was issued against Yeo. [22] On 30 June, an additional arrest warrant was issued by the Central District Military Court.

Proceedings

Yeo's trial began on 8 July, along with former Army Intelligence Command commander Moon Sang-ho. When the trial started, Yeo immediately confessed to the charges of leading an insurrection and abuse of power, but not obstruction of justice. He then claimed to have heavily regretted his involvement in the declaration, stating that if he could go back in time, he would disobey Yoon and Kim's orders even if it meant resigning from his position; "Looking back, I truly regret it. I never once thought that my judgment and actions after the declaration of martial law were free from responsibility, and I still believe that I must take full responsibility for my actions. I will forgo additional witness testimony in the upcoming trial." [23]

On 27 August, it was discovered by prosecutors that sometime in early 2024, Yeo In-hyung invited Ahn Sung-sik, a former planning and coordination officer at the Korea Coast Guard who attended Chungam High School with Yeo, to meet up with him and two other members of the Chungam Faction to have dinner. The conversations Ahn had with Yeo and the two faction members were never disclosed to the public. [24]

On 9 September, Yeo was summoned by the Special Prosecutor's Office for Internal Rebellion and questioned as a witness in connection with National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong.

References

  1. ↑ Korean : 여인형
  1. 1 2 "군 방첩사, 현 정부 들어 전두환·노태우 사진 다시 걸었다". Naver (in Korean). Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 추미애 의원, 충암고 끼리 다 해쳐먹나?? on YouTube
  3. ↑ [단독] '총선 전 계엄' 윤석열 발언 당일 신원식, 김용현 불러 대책 논의. The Hankyoreh . 23 December 2024.
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ "Ex-DCC chief claims Yoon mentioned martial law in 2023". The Korea Herald . 20 December 2024. After the April general elections, in which the ruling People Power Party suffered a landslide defeat against the Democratic Party, Yoon began to mention the possibility of declaring martial law frequently, the newspaper reported Yeo as saying. Such discussions were had in private gatherings between Chungam High School alumni, where Yoon, Yeo and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun were present.
  6. ↑ Lee, Hyo-jin (2 September 2024). "Defense minister nominee rebukes rumors about gov't plan to declare martial law". The Korea Times . Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  7. ↑ Kim, Seung-Yeon (8 December 2024). "Military drafted martial law plans in Nov. at instruction of counterintelligence chief: lawmaker". Yonhap News Agency . Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  8. 1 2
  9. ↑ "JTBC: "계엄사 설치 전 선관위에 '방첩사 IT 병력' 투입"...데이터 노렸나". Naver (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2024-12-07. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  10. ↑ 선관위 점령 계엄군, 선거인명부 서버 찍어갔다. Mindle News (in Korean). 6 December 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-12-07. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  11. ↑ "계엄군, 통합선거인명부 서버 촬영"...선관위, CCTV 영상 공개. KBS News (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2024-12-07. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  12. ↑ 계엄군, 선관위 사전투표 서버실 노렸다. The Dong-A Ilbo (in Korean). 6 December 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-12-07. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  13. ↑ 계엄 직후 선관위 덮친 계엄군..."명백한 위헌". YTN (in Korean). 6 December 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-12-07. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  14. ↑ '계엄군 가담' 방첩사, 본청 내 '군사반란' 전두환 사진 게시 재조명. Seoul Shinmun (in Korean). 6 December 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-12-07. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
  15. ↑ 계엄군 쳐들어간 선관위에 경찰도 투입...일부 K-1 소총 무장. YTN (in Korean). 7 December 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-12-07. Retrieved 2024-12-07.
  16. ↑ "Troops withdraw as National Assembly passes martial law repeal". The Korea Times . 4 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  17. ↑ "6 hours of anger, bravery and defiance during martial law in South Korea". AP News. 4 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  18. ↑ Al Jazeera English (3 December 2024). South Korean National Assembly rejects President's martial law declaration. Event occurs at 1m 46s. Retrieved 6 December 2024– via YouTube.
  19. ↑
  20. ↑ "'의원 체포' 시도‥'충암파' 여인형 직무 정지". MBC (in Korean). 7 December 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  21. ↑ 경찰청장 "여인형, 이재명 위치추적 요청...다시 전화 와 한동훈 추가". The Hankyoreh . 9 December 2024.
  22. ↑ "'의원 체포' 시도‥'충암파' 여인형 직무 정지". MSN (in Korean). 14 December 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  23. ↑ "여인형 전 방첩사령관 "정말 크게 후회, 증인신문 포기"". OhMyNews (in Korean). 8 July 2025. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  24. ↑ "[단독] '계엄 가담 의혹' 안성식, 이상민-여인형 만남에 동석…3명 모두 충암파". Hani.co (in Korean). 27 August 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
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