The Special Prosecutor's Office is questioning Kim Jeong-hwan, the former Deputy Minister of the President's Office, on the afternoon of the 2nd. Kim is identified as the person who contacted some cabinet members to inform them about the cabinet meeting under the direction of former President Yoon Suk-yeol before the declaration of the state of emergency.

On the morning of the 1st, employees are entering the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, designated to appear for a second investigation by the special investigation team led by Cho Eun-seok regarding former President Yoon Suk-yeol. / Courtesy of Yonhap News

On the same day, the Special Prosecutor's Office began investigating Kim at around noon. It is reported that the Special Prosecutor's Office is asking Kim about the circumstances of the cabinet meeting convened before the declaration of the state of emergency.

The statement that Kim contacted the cabinet members to convene the cabinet meeting on the day of the state of emergency is said to have been made by Kang Eui-gu, the former Deputy Minister of the President's Office.

Kang stated in the previous investigation by the Special Investigative Headquarters for the state of emergency that 'after Kim left the presidential office on the day of the emergency declaration, Yoon asked that the Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Unification, Director of the National Intelligence Service, and Minister of the Interior and Safety be summoned.'

Kang is reported to have stated, 'I contacted the Minister of the Interior and Safety, and I understand that Kim contacted the other personnel.'

Kim served as a secretary to the secretary of the President during Yoon's tenure as the Prosecutor General. After Yoon's inauguration, he moved to the role of administrative officer at the President's Office.

Meanwhile, the Special Prosecutor's Office summoned cabinet members today as part of the investigation surrounding the declaration of the state of emergency. This is to reconstruct the situation of the cabinet meeting before and after the declaration. In the morning, former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun were summoned, while Minister of Science and ICT Yoo Sang-im is being questioned from 3:30 p.m.

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