South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol replaced the first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, Hong Chang-won, who allegedly failed to comply with orders to detain South Korean politicians during martial law, Yonhap news agency reported.
One of the assistant directors, On Ho Won, was assigned to replace Hong Chang Won. This personnel decision is said to have been made the day before, on December 7, Yoon Suk-yeol promised to entrust state affairs, including the issue of his tenure, to the ruling party and government.
Earlier, Hong Chang-won told a parliamentary intelligence committee hearing that President Yoon Suk-yeol had ordered the arrest of a number of influential lawmakers. The presidential administration said the president had given no such directive, but later retracted its comment.
After martial law was declared on December 3, the military arrived at the National Assembly and tried to block the work of the parliament and, according to some reports, to detain a number of politicians, including the chairman of the leading opposition party, the ruling party and the chairman of the parliament. Under the constitution, parliament has the power to lift martial law. The first martial law decree banned the activities of parliament, the constitutionality of which was challenged by the opposition.
According to media reports, the military was sent to parliament by then-Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who exercised real control over the operation.