Seoul: Seven of 37 general-level officers who faced disciplinary actions for their alleged involvement in the 2024 failed martial law attempt have initiated legal proceedings against the defense ministry, seeking to overturn their penalties, as revealed in a recent document.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the document, which was submitted by the ministry to Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the ruling Democratic Party, indicates that the lawsuits aim to cancel punishments ranging from expulsions to suspensions. Notable figures among the plaintiffs include former defense intelligence commander Moon Sang-ho and former drone operations commander Kim Yong-dae.

While these seven generals have taken their grievances to court, another 29 military generals have opted to appeal the ministry's disciplinary committee's decisions. However, they have not yet proceeded with filing lawsuits to contest the disciplinary measures.

The document also highlights that Kwak Jong-keun, the former commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, is the only general who accepted the disciplinary action without further dispute. He was dismissed instead of being expelled, which is the harshest penalty, due to his cooperation during the trial of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The defense ministry's internal investigation last month scrutinized approximately 860 general-level and field-grade officers. The probe concluded with the identification of around 180 military personnel implicated in supporting the former president's martial law attempt in late 2024.