The special investigation team on insurrection (led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eunseok) is focusing on the possibility of a "second martial law" scenario in connection with the more than three-hour delay between the National Assembly's resolution to lift martial law on December 3 and the actual declaration of its termination. The special prosecutors have summoned former National Security Office Chief Shin Wonsik twice as a witness as part of their investigation into these suspicions.
According to legal sources on August 10, the special investigation team is looking into why it took approximately three hours for former President Yoon Sukyeol to declare the termination of martial law after the National Assembly passed the resolution to lift it on December 4, 2024. At that time, the National Assembly passed the resolution to lift martial law at around 1:03 a.m., and former President Yoon declared the termination only at 4:26 a.m., three hours and 23 minutes later.
On the 4th, a special edition newspaper related to President Yoon Sukyeol's declaration of martial law was placed at the entrance of Gwanghwamun Station in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung
After the National Assembly passed the resolution to lift martial law, former President Yoon moved to the underground decision-support room at the Joint Chiefs of Staff headquarters, held a meeting for about 30 minutes, and then returned to the presidential office. The special investigation team is focusing on the possibility that former President Yoon and others may have considered a second martial law during this period.
On the same day, from 1:16 a.m. to 1:47 a.m., former President Yoon discussed with former Defense Minister Kim Yonghyun and former Army Chief of Staff Park Ansoo (who was the martial law commander) in the decision-support room at the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Afterward, he returned to the presidential office, accompanied by former National Security Office Chief Shin Wonsik and former Presidential Chief of Staff Chung Jinseok.
However, it remains unknown what former President Yoon did during the approximately two hours between leaving the Joint Chiefs of Staff and declaring the termination of martial law. In connection with this, the special investigation team summoned former Chief Shin as a witness at around 2 p.m. on August 10 for further questioning. Former Chief Shin had previously been questioned by the special investigation team on August 7.
Meanwhile, the special investigation team is also focusing on the investigation into suspicions that former People Power Party floor leader Chu Kyungho and others attempted to obstruct the National Assembly's resolution to lift martial law. Based on former President Yoon's call records and other evidence, the team suspects that former floor leader Chu, under instructions from former President Yoon, repeatedly changed the location of the party caucus to prevent People Power Party lawmakers from participating in the vote on the resolution to lift martial law.
Former floor leader Chu's side claims that this is a hypothesis that cannot be established based on the timeline. However, the special investigation team is reportedly not ruling out the possibility that former floor leader Chu colluded in obstructing the vote, not only with former President Yoon but also with other key figures in the presidential office and close associates.
In addition, the special investigation team is also looking into the circumstances in which former floor leader Chu, after being informed by National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonshik that the plenary session would be moved up from 1:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m., requested a delay, saying, "Isn't this too rushed? Please give lawmakers time to enter."
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