The second consolidated special prosecutor's office, which is investigating cases left unresolved by the three major special probes into insurrection, Kim Keon-hee, and the Marines, is searching and seizing the Korea Coast Guard in connection with allegations of involvement in the Dec. 3 martial law.
The consolidated special prosecutor said in a media notice on the 17th that it has been executing search and seizure warrants against the Korea Coast Guard and others since 10 a.m. It said the purpose is to verify whether the Coast Guard participated during the martial law.
It added that the targets of the search and seizure include the commissioner's and vice administrator's offices within the Korea Coast Guard headquarters, the Intelligence and International Affairs Bureau, offices within the Investigation Bureau, and the official residence of suspect An Sung-sik, former Korea Coast Guard Director General for Planning and Coordination.
Earlier, the insurrection special prosecutor questioned former coordinator An last October on suspicion of advocating the carrying of firearms to protect police substations and dispatching personnel to the martial law command during the crisis, but ultimately cleared An of charges.
The consolidated special prosecutor said the charge against former coordinator An is performing acts aiding insurrection, adding that it reopened the insurrection special prosecutor's nonindictment case and, after corroborating the allegations through a supplementary investigation, is conducting a compulsory investigation.