The special investigation team said on the 25th that it is conducting searches and seizures at the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office. The home of former Minister of Justice Park Sung-jae and the mobile phone of former Prosecutor General Sim Woo-jung were also included in the search targets.
A pre-arrest examination of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is scheduled to take place on the 27th. Earlier, the special investigation team applied for an arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Han on the 24th. The decision on the issuance of the warrant is expected to come as early as the night of the 27th or as late as the early morning of the 28th.
Special investigator Park Ji-young stated at a press briefing this morning, "We are currently conducting searches and seizures at the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office and two other places starting from 9:30 a.m.," adding that the Seoul Detention Center, the home of former Minister Park, and former Prosecutor General Sim are also included in the search targets. Regarding former Prosecutor General Sim, she noted that his mobile phone is among the items being searched.
Special investigator Park noted, "The searches and seizures are being conducted in accordance with standard procedures," adding, "In the case of the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office, the Prosecutor General's Office is also included in the search targets." She further remarked that the search of the Seoul Detention Center is related to former Minister Park's charges of insurrection and that the search concerning former Prosecutor General Sim was conducted considering reported incidents.
Former Minister Park is suspected of having failed to prevent former President Yoon Suk-yeol from declaring martial law on December 3 and being complicit in it. Additionally, former Minister Park is under suspicion for allegedly having instructed the executive meeting at the Ministry of Justice to consider dispatching prosecutors to a joint investigation headquarters immediately after the declaration of martial law.
Former Prosecutor General Sim is currently facing accusations of abuse of power and other charges for not filing an immediate appeal when the court revoked former President Yoon's arrest.
Earlier, the Seoul Central District Court granted the request to cancel former President Yoon's arrest in March. Subsequently, the prosecution decided not to file an immediate appeal against former President Yoon, and former Prosecutor General Sim directed the release of former President Yoon, who was subsequently freed.
Former Prosecutor General Sim has been accused of obstructing the exercise of authority by abuse of power and neglect of duty. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) transferred the case to the special investigation team in June.
Meanwhile, the examination of the arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will be held at the Seoul Central District Court on the 27th. This is the first time in constitutional history that a former Prime Minister is undergoing an arrest examination.
Director General Jeong Jae-wook of the Seoul Central District Court is expected to proceed with the examination of the arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Han, who is charged with aiding and abetting the leaders of insurrection, at 1:30 p.m. on the 27th.
The special investigation team previously requested an arrest warrant against former Prime Minister Han on the 24th, applying six charges, including aiding and abetting the leaders of insurrection, falsifying official documents, violating the Presidential Records Management Act, damaging public documents, and perjury.
Former Prime Minister Han is accused of participating in or aiding the declaration of martial law by former President Yoon on December 3 last year. He is suspected of failing to prevent former President Yoon's unconstitutional and illegal declaration of martial law and instead suggesting a cabinet meeting to lend formal legitimacy to the martial law.
Former Prime Minister Han is also suspected of being involved in the process of writing and discarding a new martial law declaration document after former President Yoon declared martial law. It is reported that former Prime Minister Han signed a document prepared by former presidential secretary Kang Yi-gu, and a few days later asked to treat it as if it never happened, stating that 'if the facts of the after-the-fact document creation become known, it could cause controversy.' The document was ultimately discarded.
Additionally, former Prime Minister Han is suspected of committing perjury by stating that he 'was not aware of the martial law declaration document' during the impeachment trial against former President Yoon and in the National Assembly.