Noh Sang-won has been sentenced to two years in prison for his involvement with then-President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law imposition on Dec. 3, 2024, for collecting information of military officials and accepting bribes from officers. Noh, who had headed the Korea Defense Intelligence Command years prior, was a close aide to the defense minister at the time of the martial law.
The ruling marks the first court sentence handed to an individual indicted by the special counsel team led by Cho Eun-suk, which wrapped up its 180-day insurrection and treason probe Monday with 27 indictments.
The Seoul Central District Court found Noh guilty of violating the Personal Information Protection Act and the legal article on bribery. Noh was accused of receiving classified military information, including that related to KDIC agents, between September and December 2024.
The information is believed to have been in relation to the creation of a task force to investigate supposed fraud alleged by Yoon, which had been debunked in state investigations. Noh was dishonorably discharged from the military in 2018 and did not have authority to access such information.
"(Noh's actions) were a driving force for martial law declaration, which up to that point had not met substantial requirements," the court said in its ruling. It said the court must consider that fact that Noh's actions led to the "grave and absurd" results of the martial law imposition.
The court also ordered Noh to forfeit 24.9 million won ($16,900) in illegitimate profits related to the bribery charges. He was charged with accepting around 21 million won in cash and department store gift certificates from a colonel, and 5 million won in cash from a brigadier general in exchange for helping them win military promotions.
Noh was a close confidant of former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. Noh, Kim and Yoon are among those standing criminal trial for charges related to last year's martial law, which include insurrection and abuse of power.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
