Amid conflicting claims between former National Intelligence Service (NIS) First Deputy Director Hong Jang-won and NIS Director Cho Tae-yong regarding the 'arrest list memo,' Park Ji-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated, "Director Cho is telling a blatant lie."
On the 17th, Park appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said, "Former Director Hong has no reason to lie, while Director Cho has more than a hundred reasons to lie." He questioned, "Former Director Hong received a phone call from the president, then got the list from former Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In-hyung and wrote it down on a memo. He scribbled it and gave it to his aide to organize. What's wrong with that?" He added, "They keep trying to evade the issue with trivial details, but the important thing is that former Director Hong received calls from the president and the Counterintelligence Commander and reported that to the director."
Earlier, former Director Hong testified at the Constitutional Court that he wrote the memo in front of the NIS director's official residence at 11:06 p.m. on the day of martial law. However, Director Cho stated that it was confirmed that Hong was at the NIS headquarters, not the official residence, at that time. Furthermore, Director Cho testified that there are a total of four types of arrest list memos, including those written by former Director Hong and his aide. In response, former Director Hong claimed that the first memo was written while talking on the phone with former Commander Yeo, noting down what he heard, and the subsequent versions were organized with his aide and based on recollection.
Regarding First Lady Kim Geon-hee exchanging text messages with Director Cho around the time of the December 3rd emergency martial law declaration last year, Park said, "Kim Geon-hee exchanges messages with Myung Tae-gyun and others as well." He added, "When I was the NIS director, I reported to former President Moon Jae-in but not to the First Lady. Why would the First Lady text me?" He explained, "When the president and First Lady meet people or discuss issues of a country during overseas trips, the NIS prepares materials, but I do not personally report."
Park also predicted that Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok would not exercise a veto on the 'Myung Tae-gyun Special Prosecutor Act.' He pointed out, "If Acting Prime Minister Choi vetoes this (Myung Tae-gyun Special Prosecutor Act), he would not be loyal to President Yoon but would become a corrupt acting prime minister who condones manipulation of public opinion polls."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
