Ex-military commander gives up on arrest warrant hearing

A former chief of the Defense Intelligence Command suspected of being involved in President Yoon Suk Yeol's Dec. 3 martial law declaration has given up attending his arrest warrant hearing, police officials said Wednesday.

Former DIC commander Noh Sang-won has expressed an intent not to attend the hearing scheduled to begin at the Seoul Central District Court at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, the officials said. He was taken into police custody earlier this week on suspicion of drafting the martial law decree.

As Noh has voluntarily given up the opportunity to defend himself in front of a judge, the court will only review the existing investigation records before deciding whether to approve a pretrial detention warrant for him.

Noh, now a civilian who headed the DIC during the Park Geun-hye government, is accused of having prior discussions on martial law with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and some DIC officers, police said.

Noh is known to be close to Kim, who has been arrested for allegedly playing a key role in the short-lived martial law imposition. (Yonhap)