Seoul: The government announced on Friday that it is providing disciplinary penalty exemptions or reductions for public officials who voluntarily disclose their participation in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's unsuccessful attempt to impose martial law.

According to Yonhap News Agency, last month saw the formation of 48 task forces across 49 central government agencies, including the ministries of foreign affairs, defense, and finance. These task forces were established to investigate illegal activities or misconduct by public officials related to the martial law attempt in December of the previous year.

The Office for Government Policy Coordination (OPC) has established new criteria, stating that officials who self-report their involvement before an inquiry begins will avoid disciplinary action and may only receive a warning if deemed necessary. Additionally, those who actively cooperate with the inquiry in its early stages may be considered for reduced disciplinary penalties.

The OPC emphasized that this initiative aims to prevent cover-ups of incidents related to the martial law attempt. The primary goal of the task forces is not punitive but rather to uncover undisclosed information about the event and prevent similar occurrences in the future. The new criteria were developed following directives from President Lee Jae Myung.