The special counsel team led by Jo Eun-seok, investigating the internal and external disturbances related to the 'Dec. 3 Martial Law', summoned Minister of Education Lee Joo-ho and former Chief of Security Park Jong-jun on the 4th.
Minister Lee returned home after being interrogated for 5 hours. Former Chief Park left the Seoul High Prosecutor's Office early in the morning of the 5th after undergoing 13 hours of questioning.
The special counsel summoned Minister Lee for questioning for 5 hours starting around 1:50 p.m. the previous day. After finishing around 6:53 p.m., former Prime Minister Lee noted, "I faithfully participated in the witness interrogation," but did not answer questions such as whether he believed he had powers or duties that he did not fulfill as a member of the Cabinet or whether he thought there was any illegality in the Cabinet meeting.
The special counsel has reportedly confirmed with Minister Lee regarding the situation of the Cabinet meetings before and after the martial law declaration.
Minister Lee did not attend the Cabinet meeting held before the martial law declaration on December 3 last year, as he did not receive a notice to convene. He did, however, attend the Cabinet meeting held the following day to repeal the martial law.
The special counsel is examining whether the specific Cabinet members summoned to fulfill the quorum of 11 people at the Cabinet meeting held just before the martial law declaration, including Minister Lee, were deprived of their right to deliberate on the declaration due to not receiving a notice to convene.
To verify this, the special counsel summoned former Deputy Chief of the Presidential Office Kang Ui-goo and former Chief Secretary Kim Jeong-hwan, who were involved in calling Cabinet members, and interrogated former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is suspected of holding a Cabinet meeting to legitimize the martial law declaration.
The special counsel also interrogated Minister Yoo Sang-im of the Ministry of Science and ICT and Minister Ahn Duk-geun of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, both of whom did not attend the Cabinet meeting.
The special counsel plans to call all Cabinet members to confirm the facts.
Former Chief Park Jong-jun also appeared before the special counsel around 1:57 p.m. and was interrogated for nearly 13 hours.
The morning after, around 2:30 a.m., former Chief Park, leaving after finishing his interrogation, did not answer questions from reporters about whether he received instructions from former President Yoon regarding the execution of arrest warrants or whether he instructed the deletion of information from the encrypted phones.
He stated, "I have spoken in detail during the investigation," and added, "I am not in a position to disclose anything now," before leaving the Seoul High Prosecutor's Office where the special counsel's office is located.
The special counsel has reportedly confirmed allegations that former President Yoon mobilized the Security Office to obstruct the execution of arrest warrants by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials against former Chief Park.
In addition, it is reported that the special counsel also questioned the circumstances under which information was deleted from encrypted phones belonging to former President Yoon and former National Intelligence Service First Deputy Hong Jang-won following the martial law situation.
The special counsel summoned former Deputy Chief Kim Sung-hun the previous day and interrogated him for nearly 17 hours. Former Deputy Kim has reportedly stated that he was not involved in the instruction to delete information from the encrypted phones, claiming that former Chief Park was the final responsible person in the Security Office at that time.
In relation to this, former Chief Park said upon appearing before the special counsel, "I will clarify various related matters in detail during the investigation."
The special counsel extended the ban on overseas travel for former Chief Park and former Deputy Kim established during the police investigation phase.