Seoul: The defense ministry announced Tuesday the dismissal of three Army officers from military service and the removal of another due to their involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law declaration.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the decision followed a disciplinary committee meeting last month to address the cases of the four Army officers implicated in the December 3, 2024, martial law attempt. Brig. Gen. Kim Jeong-geun, Col. An Mu-seong, who was awaiting promotion to brigadier general, and Col. Kim Se-un were dismissed from military service, representing the highest level of disciplinary punishment. This penalty entails a 50 percent reduction in military retirement benefits.

Brig. Gen. Kim and An faced accusations of deploying troops to the National Assembly on the night martial law was declared, while Col. Kim was charged with transporting the troops to the Assembly building. In contrast, Col. Kim Sang-yong, former deputy chief of the Defense Ministry's Criminal Investigation Command, was removed from military service. This represents the second-highest level of disciplinary action and does not impact military retirement benefits. He was alleged to have played a role in forming a team to arrest key politicians and other significant figures.

The ministry's recent actions coincide with an internal probe into approximately 860 general-grade and field-grade officers, identifying around 180 military personnel involved in the late 2024 martial law attempt.