Cho Kyungtae: "Chu Kyungho Repeatedly Urged Us to Gather at Party Headquarters"
People Power Party's Kim Yeji Summoned as Witness for Investigation
People Power Party lawmaker Cho Kyungtae is speaking as he arrives on the 11th for a witness investigation at the Special Investigation Office for Internal Insurrection set up at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
On August 11, People Power Party lawmaker Cho Kyungtae, who appeared before the special prosecutor's team for a witness investigation regarding suspicions of interference with the lifting of martial law, stated, "I received repeated messages from then-floor leader Chu Kyungho, urging me to come to the party headquarters."
Cho made this statement to reporters after being questioned by the special prosecutor's team for about five hours, starting around 8 a.m. that day. He said, "The Speaker of the National Assembly was instructing us to gather in the main chamber, but former floor leader Chu's side was sending concentrated Telegram messages telling us to gather at the party headquarters instead of the main chamber." Cho added, "I think the lawmakers who encouraged such actions, as well as former floor leader Chu, who remained silent and said nothing on Telegram, will likely become key subjects of the investigation."
He continued, "Although I say this cautiously, I believe those who actively urged us to come to the party headquarters via Telegram should also be investigated."
During the investigation, it is reported that the special prosecutor's team also presented Cho with records showing that former floor leader Chu spoke on the phone with former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo immediately after the martial law declaration.
Cho stated, "It was revealed that at 11:12 p.m. on December 3, former floor leader Chu and former Prime Minister Han had a phone call lasting more than seven minutes." He added, "It appears that former Prime Minister Han told Chu that, at the time, all Cabinet members opposed the martial law declaration, but former President Yoon Suk Yeol pushed ahead with it regardless."
He further explained, "The special prosecutor's team seems to be investigating why former floor leader Chu, after learning from former Prime Minister Han that all Cabinet members opposed martial law, nevertheless failed to prevent the unconstitutional and illegal declaration of martial law, and why, from that point on, he actively avoided attending the main chamber."
Regarding this, special prosecutor Park Jiyeong said at a briefing that day, "As this concerns the details of the investigation, it is not appropriate to confirm, but since lawmaker Cho mentioned it, it does seem that the phone call took place at the time."
Cho was one of 18 People Power Party lawmakers who participated in the vote on the resolution demanding the lifting of martial law in the early morning of December 4 last year. The resolution passed with 190 lawmakers present and 190 in favor, while 90 out of 108 People Power Party lawmakers did not participate.
The special prosecutor's team is investigating whether former President Yoon Suk Yeol and then-floor leader Chu Kyungho were involved in the fact that most People Power Party lawmakers did not attend the vote to lift martial law.
Immediately after the martial law declaration, former floor leader Chu first announced that the emergency parliamentary meeting would be held at the National Assembly, then changed the location to the Yeouido party headquarters, then again announced the National Assembly as the location, only to change it back to the Yeouido party headquarters.
It was also revealed that former floor leader Chu and former President Yoon spoke on the phone after the martial law declaration. Allegations have been raised that former President Yoon requested Chu to block the parliamentary vote, and that Chu accepted this request and changed the meeting location to prevent lawmakers from attending the vote. However, Chu's side maintains that he was not aware of the martial law declaration in advance and did not discuss obstructing the vote with former President Yoon.
People Power Party lawmaker Yeji Kim is appearing on the 11th for a witness investigation at the Special Investigation Office for Internal Insurrection set up at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
Additionally, from 2 p.m. that day, the special prosecutor's team summoned People Power Party lawmaker Yeji Kim as a witness for questioning. Kim did not attend the vote on the resolution demanding the lifting of martial law.
Upon arriving at the special prosecutor's office at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, Kim said, "I think they will ask about the situation on December 3 last year, and I will answer in detail to the best of my knowledge."
She added, "That day, we were told to go to the main chamber, and then to the third floor of the central party headquarters, and the locations were switched several times. It seems there was some confusion," and explained, "Some lawmakers even sent me personal messages telling me I needed to come to the main chamber. The people contacting us and the locations were all different."
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