The National Assembly's "Special Committee on the National Investigation into the Allegations of Insurrection through the Proclamation of Emergency Martial Law by the Yoon Seok-yeol Administration" (National Investigation Special Committee) divided into ruling and opposition parties on the 25th and pursued the allegations of "warrant shopping" of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the "management allegations of the secret phone" by the prosecution.
On that day, the ruling party's National Investigation Special Committee commissioners focused their questioning on Oh Dong-woon, the Chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), who appeared at the hearing, regarding the "warrant shopping allegations."
Earlier, President Yoon Seok-yeol's side raised allegations of "warrant shopping" stating that after the CIO requested a search and seizure warrant from the Seoul Central District Court against President Yoon, which was dismissed, it subsequently sought an arrest warrant from the Seoul Western District Court, which had personnel from the Law Research Society and International Human Rights Law Research Society.
Park Jun-tae, a member of the People Power Party, said, "After all warrants were dismissed at the Seoul Central District Court, criticisms inevitably arise that they sought out a progressive judge who would grant the president's warrant to carry out warrant shopping." Fellow party member Joo Jin-woo pointed out, "It is very unusual for the CIO to request a warrant from the Western District Court instead of the Central District Prosecutor's Office, which has exclusive jurisdiction."
In response, Chief Oh of the CIO stated, "(The warrant related to President Yoon) does not violate legal procedures,"adding, "It is an arrest warrant issued properly by the court."
Furthermore, Chief Oh of the CIO claimed regarding their request for a warrant that changed from the Seoul Central District Court to the Seoul Western District Court, "Article 31 of the CIO Act stipulates the jurisdiction, and the CIO has the authority in principle for the cases they prosecute, while allowing discretion for the CIO."
The opposition party's National Investigation Special Committee commissioners questioned the prosecution and the National Security Office regarding the "management allegations of the secret phone." They pointed out that the National Security Office, which manages secret phones, is refusing to conduct a search-and-seizure of the secret phone servers citing military secrets and other reasons.
Yoon Geon-young, a member of the Democratic Party, said, "Former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun returned it on December 12 or 13, over a week after resigning," and noted, "The secret phone in question is kept by the Presidential Security Service, and if obtained, communication among key personnel can be confirmed."
The same party's Park Seon-won mentioned that National Intelligence Service Director Jo Tae-yong and Kim Keon-hee exchanged text messages regarding the emergency martial law, emphasizing, "Kim may have requested surveillance on Myung Tae-kyun during the martial law situation, so the secret phone's call records must be investigated."
Attending the hearing were Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Chief Oh Dong-woon of the CIO, First Deputy Director Kim Tae-hyo of the National Security Office, and Vice Chief Lee Jin-dong of the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office. President Yoon, former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung, Korean National Police Agency Chief Jo Ji-ho, Vice Minister Kim Sung-hoon of the National Security Office, former Intelligence Service Chief Noh Sang-won, and Myung Tae-kyun submitted letters for their non-attendance.
The National Investigation Special Committee is considering filing charges against witnesses who failed to comply with the summons after completing their inquiries at the last hearing that day. The special committee plans to adopt the final activity report on the 28th.