The military, equipped with batons, tasers, submachine guns, and drone-jamming guns, is estimated to have a force of about 1,500 soldiers during martial law. Although individual soldiers were not issued ammunition, it is estimated that the troops carried over 10,000 rounds.
According to data submitted by Democratic Party lawmaker Baek Seung-ah from the Ministry of National Defense, during the martial law, the Special Warfare Command and the Capital Defense Command deployed a total of 107 military vehicles. This included 26 large buses for troop transport, 15 medium buses, 25 military motorcycles, and two small tactical vehicles with bulletproof bodies.
Twelve Black Hawk helicopters (UH-60) were used to transport members of the 707th Special Mission Battalion to the National Assembly at night. Identified martial law forces include approximately 1,500 personnel from the Special Warfare Command, the Capital Defense Command, Counterintelligence Command, and Intelligence Command.
The Special Warfare Command contributed the largest number with 1,139 troops, including 197 from the 707th Special Mission Battalion, 400 from the 1st Airborne Brigade, 271 from the 3rd Airborne, 222 from the 9th Airborne, and 49 from the Special Operations Aviation Battalion. These troops were tasked with blockading the National Assembly, the National Election Commission, and the Democratic Party headquarters.
On the day martial law was enacted, the Counterintelligence Command deployed about 200 personnel to locations including the National Assembly and the National Election Commission in Gwacheon. Notably, 49 Counterintelligence agents sent to the National Assembly were part of an arrest team that planned to detain key figures, such as lawmakers, at a bunker near Gwanak-gu, Seoul.
The Capital Defense Command deployed 211 soldiers from the Military Police Corps and the 1st Guard Battalion, including 61 enlisted soldiers. The Intelligence Command mobilized about 30 special agents responsible for operations such as cross-border missions.
The martial law troops were equipped with personal gear such as helmets, bulletproof vests, and night vision goggles, as well as weapons including sniper rifles, K1 submachine guns, and pistols. They also carried batons, tasers, and drone-jamming guns.
To date, more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition distributed to the martial law troops have been confirmed. The 707th Special Mission Battalion (197 soldiers) withdrew 3,960 rounds of ordinary ammunition and 1,980 blanks, while the Capital Defense Command (211 soldiers) withdrew 5,048 live rounds and 2,939 blanks. The level of armament and ammunition distribution for the 1st, 3rd, and 9th Airborne Brigades, as well as the Counterintelligence Command, has not been disclosed.
However, the military maintains that ammunition was not issued individually but was stored collectively in containers on vehicles or helicopters. A Ministry of National Defense official stated that they are verifying the actual number of troops and level of armament for the units involved in the deployment during martial law.