Kim Byung-joo, a member of the Democratic Party, raised suspicions regarding the visit of Kim Tae-hyo, the First Deputy Director of National Security, to a secret military unit known as the North Korean OPS (HID) in 2023. Kim Byung-joo, who served in the military for 39 years, stated during a session at the National Assembly’s Steering Committee that he had never visited such a secret unit despite his lengthy service. He questioned the motive behind Kim Tae-hyo’s visit, especially since President Yoon Suk-yeol was initially supposed to join the visit but later canceled.
The Democratic Party has suggested that Kim Tae-hyo’s visit might be linked to plans related to soliciting the cooperation of HID operatives for a conspiracy following the 12.3 rebellion incident. Furthermore, there were claims that secret underground bunkers in other regions, in addition to the previously noted ‘B1 bunker’ at the Capital Defense Command, were prepared to detain politicians.
Despite these allegations, Kim Tae-hyo denied any connection of his visit to HID with martial law preparations, describing such connections as “groundless leaps of logic”. The President’s Office reiterated that Kim’s visit was merely a routine encouragement visit and had no relation to recent political events.
As accusations persist, the Democratic Party is calling for a full explanation from the President’s Office and the Ministry of National Defense to clarify the events and motives surrounding the visit and the alleged use of underground bunkers. However, key figures from the President’s Office, including the chiefs of staff and security, were absent from a scheduled session at the National Assembly, leading to further tensions and demands for accountability.