Hong Jang-won, former First Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service, arrives at the office of the Second Special Prosecutor's Team led by Kwon Chang-young in Gwacheon on the 22nd to undergo questioning as a suspect regarding allegations of "conveying a message to justify martial law." [Yonhap News] 

The Second Special Prosecutor's Team, led by Kwon Chang-young, which is investigating remaining allegations following the three initial special probes, summoned former National Intelligence Service (NIS) First Deputy Director Hong Jang-won for the third time on the 22nd and questioned him for nearly 10 hours.

The special prosecutor's team summoned Hong around 10:00 a.m. that day as a suspect on charges of committing important duties related to insurrection, questioning him about his actions before and after the declaration of the December 3rd emergency martial law and the decision-making process within the NIS.

Hong is suspected of attempting to convey a message justifying martial law to U.S. intelligence agencies following former President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration of emergency martial law.

Previously, the special prosecutor's team stated that while investigating NIS officials, they captured evidence that on the morning after the martial law declaration, the NIS received a document written in Korean from the National Security Office, along with a request to "explain the background of the emergency martial law to friendly nations."

According to the team's findings, following the instructions of then-NIS Director Cho Tae-yong, the overseas department under the First Deputy Director called in the head of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Korea to explain the purpose of the document, and Hong received reports on and approved this entire process.

Hong's side claims that he does not remember the situation and asserts that even if such an event occurred, it did not follow official reporting procedures.

The special prosecutor's team also suspects that on the day of the martial law declaration, Hong convened a meeting of department heads under his supervision to order the establishment of a communication system with the Armed Forces Counterintelligence Command and discussed providing operational support to the Martial Law Command's Joint Investigation Headquarters.

It is reported that the special prosecutor's team discovered expressions suspected to be related to the martial law in items such as work notebooks belonging to attendees of that meeting, which were secured during a search and seizure of the NIS.

Regarding this, Hong dismissed the allegations, stating, "The word 'joint' regarding a joint investigation headquarters was never even mentioned."

The special prosecutor's team also summoned Hong as a suspect on the 22nd of last month and the 11th of this month, questioning him for approximately 9 hours each time.

The team plans to summon Hong for a fourth time on the 26th to conclude the investigation.

Previously, regarding the "allegations of a message justifying martial law," the special prosecutor's team also summoned former National Security Office First Deputy Director Kim Tae-hyo twice last month as a suspect for questioning.

It is reported that the team is considering requesting an arrest warrant for Kim.

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Kim Myung-soo responds to questions from reporters as he arrives at the office of the Second Special Prosecutor's Team led by Kwon Chang-young in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, on the 22nd to undergo questioning as a suspect on charges including committing important duties related to insurrection. [Yonhap News] 

The special prosecutor's team also summoned and questioned former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Kim Myung-soo on the same day. This is the first questioning since the court dismissed the arrest warrant requested by the special prosecutor's team on the 15th.

Kim is suspected of participating in an insurrection by failing to prevent the military from being deployed to the National Assembly and by helping to form the Martial Law Command, despite watching the situation unfold from the Joint Chiefs of Staff command and control center when emergency martial law was declared on December 3, 2024.

The special prosecutor's team suspects that Kim, who held military command authority (operational control), failed to take appropriate measures despite being aware of the illegality of the martial law declaration and the process of deploying troops to the National Assembly.

Kim's side has consistently denied the charges, claiming that upon the declaration of martial law, the Minister of National Defense personally took command and control of the martial law troops, leaving the Chairman excluded from the decision-making process and unable to exercise authority over the troops.

Upon arriving at the questioning room that day, Kim said, "As I have done until now, my philosophy and convictions remain unchanged, and I will continue to provide explanations based on facts and truth."