The South Korean Defense Ministry announced on November 11 that it has taken severe disciplinary measures against three senior military officials regarding their involvement in the December 3 coup attempt and related activities. Major General Jeong Jin-pal, who served as the Deputy Chief of Staff during the state of emergency, and Major General Lee Seung-o, the Chief of Operations, have both been dismissed, while Major General Won Cheon-hee, the head of the Defense Intelligence Headquarters, received a two-month suspension. Jeong Jin-pal was appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Emergency Command and played a role in discussions on the law enforcement situation at the Joint Chief of Staff headquarters as per the directives of then Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun.

Lee Seung-o has been implicated in a drone operation targeting Pyongyang, which occurred in October 2024. Meanwhile, Major General Won Cheon-hee faced an investigation from both Special Prosecutors and the High-level Officials Criminal Investigation Unit, as he allegedly participated in discussions about the state of emergency the day before it was declared, along with former Minister Kim Yong-hyun and former Intelligence Chief Moon Sang-ho.

Another official, Major General Kim Yong-dae, the former Commander of the Drone Operations Command, is still undergoing disciplinary procedures tied to his involvement in a drone infiltration operation against Pyongyang in October 2024, for which he has been indicted. This series of events signals heightened scrutiny of military leadership in South Korea following significant geopolitical tensions.