Former Security Office Chief Park Jongjun Also Under Investigation
The police special investigation team confirmed that on June 3, they summoned and questioned Sunghoon Kim, former Deputy Director of the Presidential Security Office, following the presidential election.
Recently, the police called in former Deputy Director Kim to investigate circumstances in which classified phone data belonging to former President Seokyeol Yoon, former National Intelligence Service First Deputy Director Jangwon Hong, and former Seoul Metropolitan Police Chief Bongsik Kim was remotely deleted after the declaration of emergency martial law on December 6, 2024.
On December 6, 2024, three days after the martial law incident, the classified phone data of former President Yoon, former Deputy Director Hong, and former Chief Kim was remotely logged out. This is also referred to as a "security measure."
It has been reported that former Deputy Director Kim maintained the position that he was not involved and that the person responsible at the Security Office at the time was former Director Jongjun Park.
It is also known that there is no record of communication between former Deputy Director Kim and former President Yoon on that day.
In relation to this, the police reportedly identified circumstances suggesting that National Intelligence Service Director Taeyong Cho held prior consultations with the Security Office before the classified phone data was deleted on December 6, 2024.
During this process, there is also said to be a record of a phone call between former Director Park and Director Cho. There is growing speculation that the police investigation is narrowing in on former Director Park.
The police are reportedly planning to summon former Director Park and others again for questioning in the near future.
Former Director Park, who has a background in law enforcement, submitted his resignation on January 10, 2025, and stepped down; afterward, former Deputy Director Kim served as acting director. Former President Yoon was arrested five days later, on January 15, 2025.
A police official stated, "We cannot confirm details related to the investigation."
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