Seoul, South Korea – The special prosecutor’s team, led by Kwon Chang-young, revealed serious developments in the investigations into the state of emergency that gripped the country. The team also confirmed the involvement of the National Intelligence Service in compiling a list of hundreds of individuals and entities labeled as “forces threatening national security.”
“Close cooperation” between intelligence and emergency services
Special Prosecutor Kim Ji-mi explained in a press briefing on Monday that the investigation confirmed circumstances indicating “active cooperation” between the intelligence agency and the then-declared state of emergency. The team is currently focused on tracing the channels through which the agency’s former director, Choe Tae-yong, or other political officials, issued orders to compile this list.
The investigation also revealed that the agency’s security investigations department reviewed the possibility of using counterintelligence powers to issue emergency orders based on decisions made by former President Yoon Seok-yol. The investigation team further noted that the regulations the agency relied upon, related to the “Cheungmo Plan,” were intended for wartime situations and could not legally be applied to a state of emergency.
Military and security leaders implicated
In a related development, the special prosecution team announced that it had summoned several high-ranking military figures, most notably former commander of the First Security Group of the Capital Defense Command, Colonel Cho Seong-hyun, to appear in court on July 10 on charges related to their involvement in “significant duties pertaining to the insurrection.” Colonel Cho also faces charges of ordering his units to “enter the National Assembly” during the period of martial law.
Conversely, Colonel Cho’s awarding of the National Security Merit Medal sparked widespread controversy. This came after reports that he later ordered his men to avoid clashes with civilians. This move received political backing from President Lee Jae-myung.
Expanding the scope of the interrogation
The investigation department expands to include former Defense Intelligence Command chief Noh Sang-won, who is being questioned as a suspect in “conspiracy to commit murder with intent to rebel.” At the same time, the team intends to summon former Minister of Personnel Affairs, Lee Won-mo, and former Public Prosecutor, Shim Woo-jung, as part of investigations related to allegations of covering up corruption cases. These cases include manipulation of Deutsche Motors shares.
The team confirmed it had detected signs of “mismanagement” and tampering with the investigation records of Deutsche Motors. It also stressed the need to preserve the integrity of the evidence and prevent its manipulation. These investigations come at a pivotal time for South Korea in holding former leaders accountable for their involvement in cases of insurrection and abuse of power.
