Police Commissioner General Cho Ji-ho and Kim Bong-sik, the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, were placed under pretrial detention for their alleged roles in the December 3 martial law declaration.

The Seoul Central District Court issued detention warrants for both officials late Friday, citing concerns about the destruction of evidence.

This marks the first time in history that the two highest-ranking officials within the police agency have been detained simultaneously.

According to an ongoing investigation by the National Office of Investigation(NOI) under the police, Cho and Kim met with President Yoon Suk Yeol around 7 p.m. on December 3, just hours before the decree was issued, at a presidential safe house in Seoul’s Jongno District.

The two police officials reportedly received written instructions from the president specifying which agencies were to be taken over under martial law.

Neither Cho nor Kim disclosed this meeting during their initial questioning by the NOI.

Investigators suspect Cho and Kim were aware of the martial law plans in advance and have accused them of playing critical roles in an insurrection.

The two officials are also accused of involvement in restricting entry to the National Assembly in an attempt to prevent lawmakers from voting to request the president rescind the martial law declaration.