Allied Intelligence Services — 2026-07-20

South Korea Special Counsel Says NIS Selected Officials to Dispatch to Yoon's Martial Law Command and Prepared 'Security Threat' List

BLUFImplicating NIS senior leadership in the martial law chain of command transforms the probe from a military conspiracy case into a whole-of-government accountability crisis for South Korea's security apparatus.

South Korea's second joint special counsel team, led by Kwon Chang-young, said Monday it has found evidence of National Intelligence Service involvement in Yoon Suk Yeol's December 3, 2024 martial law bid 12. Assistant special counsel Kim Ji-mi said then-first deputy NIS director Hong Jang-won ordered subordinate departments to dispatch investigators to the martial law command's joint investigation headquarters after Yoon declared martial law 12. Kim said the NIS first deputy director separately instructed staff to establish contact points with the Defense Counterintelligence Command, after which a security department head ordered contact points set up with the National Police Agency 2. Kim said the special counsel is verifying whether these instructions were carried out, and separately noted that People Power Party lawmakers Kim Ki-hyun and Na Kyung-won have not appeared for questioning on obstruction-of-arrest allegations, instead notifying the team they will submit written responses 2.

Analysis
The special counsel's account pulls NIS senior leadership into the martial law probe for the first time, alleging then-first deputy director Hong Jang-won ordered investigator dispatches to the joint command and separately directed liaison channels with the Defense Counterintelligence Command and National Police Agency, widening exposure beyond the military officers already indicted, though prosecutors have not confirmed the orders were executed. Both reporting outlets draw on the same briefing without an independent document, so their agreement reflects shared origin rather than corroboration. The orders could equally reflect standard NIS crisis-coordination protocol rather than deliberate coup facilitation. PPP lawmakers Kim Ki-hyun's and Na Kyung-won's refusal to appear in person, opting for written answers, signals the party intends to slow-walk the obstruction inquiry while contesting the special counsel's mandate extension in the Assembly.

2 sources

Special counsel says NIS ordered officials to be dispatched to martial law body - Yonhap News Agency
종합특검 "국정원, 계엄 때 '컨택포인트 구축' 지시…정황 구체적" - Joseilbo