Col. Cho Sung-hyun, praised for halting troops at Seogang Bridge, appears before special prosecutors as suspect

The second comprehensive special prosecutor's team — led by Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young and tasked with investigating allegations left unresolved after three earlier special counsel probes into insurrection, Kim Keon Hee and the Marine corporal case — summoned and questioned Col. Cho Sung-hyun, former commander of the 1st Security Group under the Capital Defense Command, on charges of playing a key role in insurrection.

The special prosecutor's team called Col. Cho and former Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung to its offices in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, at 10 a.m. Friday for questioning as suspects — Cho in connection with the Dec. 3, 2024, emergency martial law declaration on charges of participating in insurrection, and Shim on charges of abuse of authority for allegedly suppressing an investigation into first lady Kim Keon Hee.

Cho arrived at around 9:42 a.m. and, when reporters asked how he was feeling, said he was caught off guard. "I'm flustered. But I have testified and given statements based on what I remember, and today I will speak in detail in the same spirit," he said.

Asked about reports that he had agreed to carry out operations after receiving a phone call from former Capital Defense Commander Lee Jin-woo, Cho said: "That is a matter of military protocol. You just need to understand the nature of military hierarchy."

According to the special prosecutor's team, Cho is suspected of involvement in the insurrection, including issuing orders for troops to enter the National Assembly during the martial law declaration. He had been widely praised as a "true soldier" after it emerged that, despite receiving orders to storm the main Assembly building and drag out lawmakers, he told follow-on units not to cross Seogang Bridge. The Ministry of National Defense awarded Cho a government commendation in September last year, recognizing him as a defender of constitutional values.

The special prosecutor's team also questioned former Prosecutor General Shim as a suspect Friday in connection with allegations that he suppressed the investigation into first lady Kim Keon Hee's alleged involvement in Deutsch Motors share price manipulation. Shim arrived at the special prosecutor's office at around 9:40 a.m. and entered the building without responding to reporters' questions, including whether he had been involved in the decision to drop charges in the Deutsch Motors case.

The special prosecutor's team is also investigating former Seoul Central District Prosecutor Lee Chang-su and former head of the district prosecutors' office's anti-corruption unit Choi Jae-hun in connection with the alleged suppression of the probe into Kim Keon Hee.

The special prosecutor's team launched in February and has twice extended its mandate in 30-day increments beyond the initial 90-day period. It is set to wrap up its work on July 24 and has asked the National Assembly to amend the law to extend its operating period, citing the vast scope of its investigation. Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Seung-won introduced a bill Thursday to extend the special prosecutor's investigation period; the bill also includes a provision establishing a dedicated prosecution system for the team.