What is visible in this image? What do the faint two lines between the people on the right signify? The core of the Hanmiilbo YouTube video is that one of them is suspected to be a restraint rope. [Photo: Hanmiilbo YouTube Capture]  

By piecing together scattered fragments and filling in the gaps, a complete puzzle has been formed. 

The Hanmiilbo YouTube team has newly analyzed and released a video on the 15th regarding the so-called "National Election Commission (NEC) Suwon Election Training Institute Chinese Spy Ring Arrest Incident."

This video meticulously attempts to prove the factual basis of the "99 spy arrests incident" that occurred at the NEC's Second Dormitory (Foreigner Shared Housing) in Suwon City, Gyeonggi Province, following President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration of emergency martial law on December 3, 2024, using CCTV footage from the National Agricultural Museum.

The video, newly released, confirms that there was a "joint ROK-US operation" on that day in connection with the "99 spy incident" first raised as a suspicion by reporter Huh Gyum (currently CEO of Hanmiilbo) through the Sky Daily on January 16 of last year.

Police Cars and Martial Law Troops Blocking the Entrance to the Suwon Training Institute 'Foreigner Shared Housing'

The most definitive scene suggesting a joint ROK-US secret operation is the police cars and martial law troops blocking the entrance to the road leading into the foreigner shared housing (Second Dormitory). The Second Dormitory is surrounded by mountains, with only one access road. In the early morning of the 4th, 3-4 individuals in police and martial law uniforms were blocking this access road and carrying out an operation. 

A police officer holding a traffic baton is seen intently watching the 1 o'clock direction towards the Second Dormitory, where police cars are stationed. This indicates that an operation is in progress. [Photo: Hanmiilbo YouTube Capture]

The 'red triangle' is the training institute's Second Dormitory (foreigner shared housing), presumed to be the arrest operation site. The 'green arrow' indicates the entrance to the road leading to the Second Dormitory, blocked by police cars (which perfectly matches the location of the police car in the video). The 'yellow star' is the presumed location of the National Agricultural Museum CCTV. [Photo: Hanmiilbo YouTube Capture]  

From the video alone, it appears that police cars are simply waiting in the parking lot with their emergency lights flashing. However, by using Naver Road View to estimate landmarks and the position of the police cars, it became clear that the location where the operation team parked their vehicles perfectly matched the entrance to the foreigner shared housing. The emergency lights of the parked police cars were rotating slowly. 

At the time, people were moving very urgently, with police car doors opening and closing frequently. A police officer holding a traffic baton and managing the area around the parking lot also intently watched the 1 o'clock direction in the video, which is the entrance to the Second Dormitory. This series of events suggests that a very critical operation was underway at the foreigner shared housing of the election training institute. 

Restraint Ropes, a Person with Hands Tied Behind Their Back, and a Machine Gun

So, what happened that day? It is not easy to discern the truth from just a few minutes of fragmented video.

Nevertheless, after carefully observing these scenes, our YouTube team was able to capture significant clues.

First, the image of a man, seemingly bound by restraint ropes, caught our attention. 

Two lines connect one person to another. [Photo: Hanmiilbo YouTube Capture]  

The lower line was a shadow on the ground. [Photo: Hanmiilbo YouTube Capture]  

In the process of identifying the nature of the lines, it was confirmed that one was definitively a shadow on the ground. If so, what about the other line? [Photo: Hanmiilbo YouTube Capture]  

As people appear, a line is drawn above the existing line. [Photo: Hanmiilbo YouTube Capture]  

While it's difficult to be certain due to the brief exposure and the distance, the scene showed a man being led forward, tied with a rope that is difficult to explain as anything other than a restraint rope, with people walking ahead of him.

In another scene, a man appears to be being taken away by two men, with his hands tied behind his back. At a distance, a man holding what looks like a gun was observed watching them. 

US Military Bus and Numerous People

Another circumstance suggesting a joint ROK-US operation is the limousine bus. 

One of the two limousine buses parked in the lot was identified as a 'Universe Express Noble,' which Chairman Chung Mong-koo of Hyundai Motor Company had donated to the US Forces Korea.

In 2010, Chairman Chung donated two limousine buses, in beige and green, to the US military "as a token of gratitude to the US Forces Korea for their efforts towards peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula." It is unlikely that the people who brought these US military buses were martial law troops. There is no doubt that the US military buses were driven by US military personnel.

Chairman Chung Mong-koo of Hyundai Motor Company donated a beige and green limousine bus to the US military in 2010. [Photo: Yonhap News]

The front vehicle of the two limousine buses parked in the lot is the 'Universe Express Noble' donated by Chairman Chung Mong-koo of Hyundai Motor Company to the US Forces Korea. [Photo: Hanmiilbo YouTube Capture]

A photo used by reporter Moon Sang-hyun of 'Sisa-in' for his article "NEC Training Institute: 90 People Detained" on January 24, 2024. The US military bus is not visible, only a regular bus. Perhaps they did not want to reveal that a US military bus was mobilized. [Photo: Sisa-in]

The two limousine buses that were parked in the National Agricultural Museum lot were initially without lights. This means they were empty vehicles. 

However, around the buses, seven people were seen milling about and waiting. Who were these people? It is certain they were not passengers on the buses. Their identity would be revealed later. 

Returning to the limousine buses, the CCTV footage reappears after a break. Surprisingly, the buses that arrived empty were filled with people when they departed. Where did these people come from?

All of the individuals on board had something like horns protruding from their heads. What does this signify? Could they have been wearing 'shoe bags for hoods,' as former Information Command Commander Noh Sang-won described?

The buses arrived empty, but departed full of people wearing hoods? This is sufficient grounds to suspect an operation. 

All the people on board had something like horns protruding from their heads. What does this signify? Could they have been wearing 'shoe bags for hoods,' as former Information Command Commander Noh Sang-won described? [Photo: Hanmiilbo YouTube Capture]

So, who were the seven people milling around in front of the buses? As each of them disappeared, the lights of the ambulances, police cars, microbuses, and HMMWV (or jeeps) parked nearby turned on one by one, and the vehicles then left the scene sequentially. 

What does this imply? It can only be interpreted that the waiting drivers were a team and received the same orders, which is why the vehicles entered and exited simultaneously. 

However, the two limousine buses carrying people with black masks on left in a different direction. The reason they acted separately will be revealed later.

One thing to note is the HMMWV parked in the lot. This vehicle is a 'symbolic' high-mobility tactical vehicle of the US military and is almost always deployed during US military operations. President Yoon Suk-yeol has also mentioned this HMMWV. 

The seven people gathered in front of the darkened buses. They are likely the drivers of the vehicles mobilized on the day of the incident. [Photo: Hanmiilbo YouTube Capture]  A HMMWV (or jeep) vehicle parked in the National Agricultural Museum lot on the day of the incident. [Photo: Hanmiilbo YouTube Capture]  

A Deceptive Operation That Fooled Our Own Side

On December 19, 2024, Kim Byeong-ju, a supreme council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated on MBC Radio, "I received a tip that HID (North Korean Reconnaissance Bureau) agents were ordered to subdue 30 NEC section chiefs and key personnel by force, tie their hands and feet with cable ties, put masks on them, and take them to B-1 bunker." 

Although this statement was intended to highlight the illegitimacy of martial law, it paradoxically led people to imagine what had actually happened at the NEC training institute. 

However, his statement led some to believe that the spies arrested that day were being held in a domestic military facility. 

Most notably, the two buses waited motionless until all the vehicles parked in the National Agricultural Museum lot made U-turns and disappeared. After the other vehicles left, the drivers exchanged words and then turned their vehicles in a different direction. [Photo: Hanmiilbo YouTube Capture]  

However, according to a Sky Daily report by reporter Huh Gyum on January 21 of last year, the individuals presumed to be spies were taken to Okinawa via Pyeongtaek Port, not to B-1 bunker. [Photo: Hanmiilbo YouTube Capture]

However, according to a Sky Daily report by reporter Huh Gyum on January 21 of last year, the individuals presumed to be spies were taken to Okinawa via Pyeongtaek Port, not to B-1 bunker.

As reporter Huh stated, if they went to Pyeongtaek Port, then all the events perfectly align. The distance between the NEC training institute where the incident occurred and Pyeongtaek Port is a 46-minute drive, which exactly matches the time it would take for the operation team to arrive at Pyeongtaek Port after arresting the NEC employees.

Most notably, the two buses waited motionless until all the vehicles parked in the National Agricultural Museum lot made U-turns and disappeared. After the other vehicles left, the drivers exchanged words and then turned their vehicles in a different direction, as captured by the CCTV. 

The fact that the two buses acted separately from the other vehicles. What does this imply? Could it be that they told their own forces they were going to B-1 bunker, but actually went to Pyeongtaek Port? The B-1 bunker tip that Rep. Kim received is likely false information intended to deceive their own side during the operation. 

Legal Basis Established by the ROK-US Mutual Defense Treaty

It is also worth noting that the legal basis supporting this secret military operation was revealed early on. 

Article 3 of the ROK-US Mutual Defense Treaty, signed in 1953, promises joint action against armed attacks occurring in the Korean Peninsula and the Pacific region. According to Article 6, the treaty remains in effect indefinitely unless either party gives notice of termination. 

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (left) and South Korean Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun hold a press conference at the Pentagon near Washington D.C. on October 30, 2024 (local time). [Photo: Yonhap News]  

Surprisingly, on October 30, 2024 (local time), a month before martial law, at the 56th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), South Korean Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin reaffirmed that "Article 3 of the treaty can be invoked in the event of an attack that clearly threatens the security of the allies in space or cyberspace."

Cyberattacks include attacks received through election rigging. It is highly significant that both countries established such a legal basis one month before the arrest of the spies. 

Furthermore, former Commander Noh Sang-won left memos suggesting cooperation with the United States, such as "It is difficult to avoid investigation when used by domestic personnel" and "Preparation of escort ships." MBC also reported on Noh's memos, interpreting them as implying operations with the US, such as "D-1 US Cooperation" and "Clarification of VIP speech venue requested."

SCIF is an account frequently used by Trump to express his opinions. The fact that SCIF has frequently pointed to the Suwon region in relation to US election rigging is also not coincidental. 

Reporter Moon Sang-hyun of 'Sisa-in' also wrote an article that could support the spy incident. On December 24, 2024, after directly viewing a 1 hour and 39 minute CCTV video file provided by the office of Representative Seo Sam-seok of the Democratic Party of Korea, Moon testified, "It is certain that there were about 90 detainees." 

Hanmiilbo Editorial Department