Former Minister Lee Sang-min of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, who resigned after the emergency declaration on Dec. 3, was found to have used a security mobile phone known as "Biwa Phone," which he received from the Presidential Security Service without informing his department.
According to the office of Democratic Party member Yoon Geon-young on the 7th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety stated in a response to the National Assembly's Administrative Safety Committee regarding a query from Yoon about the number of Biwa Phones issued to the Minister over the past 10 years, that "One Biwa Phone provided to former Minister (Lee Sang-min) was returned to the Presidential Security Service after his resignation." It was noted that this former Minister was the only one among past Ministers of the Interior and Safety to have used a Biwa Phone during his term.
In response to a question about the managing authority and the department responsible within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety for the Biwa Phone, the ministry stated, "The managing authority is the Presidential Security Service," adding, "The user is the former Minister, and there is no responsible department." Ministry officials were also reportedly unaware of the former Minister's Biwa Phone possession until this document submission.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety further stated regarding the existence of records related to the use of the Biwa Phone, "It cannot be determined from the Minister's resignation and return to the Presidential Security Service." The ministry also noted that there are "no relevant regulations or manuals concerning the Biwa Phone."
In response to a question about work consultations with other agencies such as the Presidential Security Service and the National Intelligence Service regarding the Biwa Phone over the past 10 years, the Ministry said, "There was a request from the Korean National Police Agency concerning the common phone and Biwa Phone used by the former Minister," adding, "Since the Biwa Phone was returned to the Presidential Security Service, we only submitted the common phone."