South Korea: Top police officials deny insurrection charges during 1st pretrial hearing

Cho Ji-ho, commissioner general of the National Police Agency, and Kim Bong-sik, former chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, were indicted with physical detention last month on charges of mobilising police forces to close off the National Assembly and organising the arrest of key politicians during the brief imposition of martial law on December 3.

Cho has since been released on bail to undergo treatment for blood cancer, reports Yonhap news agency.

"As the national police chief, (Cho) carried out public order maintenance activities that are naturally required under conditions of martial law, but he is being misunderstood for assisting the operations of martial law troops," his attorney said during the preparatory hearing at the Seoul Central District Court.

"In fact, he stopped the materialisation of a crime so that martial law could not succeed," he added.

Kim's lawyer also denied the insurrection charge.

The court said a second preparatory hearing will be held on February 27.

Meanwhile, the first preparatory hearing for the trial of Noh Sang-won, former commander of the Defence Intelligence Command, is scheduled to be held at the same court later in the day.

Noh is accused of planning martial law operations and ordering intelligence officers to take over the National Election Commission's headquarters.

Also at the court Thursday, a second preparatory hearing will be held for former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun over his role in the martial law bid.

A preparatory hearing involves clarifying the main disputes of a case and planning for future proceedings and does not require a defendant's attendance.