Shin Won-sik faces charges of participating in key insurrection duties; former deputy Kim Tae-hyo was questioned last month
By Choi Eui-jong, The Herald Business
The second comprehensive special prosecutor team, led by Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young and investigating allegations left unresolved after three earlier special counsel probes, questioned former National Security Office chief Shin Won-sik on Wednesday as a suspect over allegations that he relayed messages justifying the Dec. 3 emergency martial law declaration to allied nations.
Shin, who faces charges of participating in key insurrection duties, arrived at the special prosecutor's office in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, at around 9:46 a.m. Wednesday.
He did not respond to reporters' questions and walked directly into the office. The questions included whether he acknowledged sending martial law justification messages to the United States and other allies, whether he had acted on orders from former President Yoon Suk Yeol, whether messages had been conveyed to President Donald Trump, and whether he had passed documents defending the martial law declaration to the National Intelligence Service.
According to the special prosecutor's office, Shin is suspected of acting on Yoon's orders and conspiring with former first deputy national security adviser Kim Tae-hyo to direct National Security Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs civil servants to transmit messages justifying the martial law declaration to allied nations immediately after it was proclaimed. The team questioned Kim twice last month on charges of participating in key insurrection duties.
The special prosecutor's team suspects that the NIS's overseas division — which falls under former first deputy director Hong Jang-won — received a hangul-language "external briefing document" from the National Security Office along with a request to explain the background of the emergency martial law declaration to allied countries. On orders from former NIS Director Jo Tae-yong, the division then summoned the CIA station chief in South Korea and briefed him in line with the document.
The team questioned former NIS deputy director Hong on May 22 on charges of participating in key insurrection duties and violating the NIS Act. Investigators plan to call him in again Thursday to question him about his movements from the proclamation of martial law through its lifting. Former NIS Director Jo is scheduled to be questioned as a suspect Friday.
In connection with the martial law justification messages, the special prosecutor's team questioned Yoon on Saturday on charges of abuse of authority obstructing the exercise of rights — the team's first interrogation of the former president. Yoon denied the charges, telling investigators that he had sought to inform foreign governments of the martial law declaration because it was lawful.
bell@heraldcorp.com
