The Democratic Party of Korea has filed charges of insurrection against Park Jong-jun, the head of the Presidential Security Service, and seven others.
President Yoon Suk-yeol is heading to the reception room after presenting the appointment letter to Park Jong-jun, Chief of the Presidential Security Service, and taking a commemorative photo at the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 9th. Photo by Yonhap News
On the 3rd, the Democratic Party's Legal Committee announced in a press release that it had reported Park, Lee Wan-gyu, head of the Legislative Office, Park Sung-jae, Minister of Justice, Kim Joo-hyun, Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, Jeong Jin-seok, Chief of Staff, Shin Won-sik, Director of National Security Office, In Seong-hwan, Deputy Director of the Security Office, and Choi Byung-ok, Defense Secretary, to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) on charges of insurrection under Article 87 of the Criminal Act.
The Legal Committee of the Democratic Party believes that Park cooperated with the declaration of martial law by escorting Police Commissioner General Jo Ji-ho and Seoul Police Commissioner Kim Bong-sik to a safe house about three hours before President Yoon Seok-yeol declared martial law. They also claim that Park handed a secure phone to Commissioner Kim to facilitate communication with former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun regarding the martial law.
They raised suspicions that Lee, Park, and Kim, along with former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, gathered at the presidential residence the day after the martial law declaration to review laws related to martial law. They argue that all attendees changing their mobile phones is evidence of participation in a conspiracy of insurrection.
Furthermore, they claim that Chief of Staff Jeong, Director Shin, Deputy Director In, and Secretary Choi attended a meeting in the underground Joint Chiefs of Staff decision room at the Ministry of National Defense immediately after the National Assembly passed a resolution to lift martial law. According to the Democratic Party, this meeting took place at a critical moment when the 11th Airborne Brigade was armed and ready to advance on Seoul.
The Democratic Party's Legal Committee stated, "A thorough investigation must be conducted into how the seven individuals, aside from Park, were involved in key tasks of the insurrection, including the second martial law or other specific acts of insurrection." They urged, "The Democratic Party calls on the CIO to promptly and thoroughly investigate the seven individuals besides Park and to impose strict punishment."
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