The special prosecutor team led by Cho Eunseok, which is investigating the rebellion and treason cases related to the December 3 Martial Law Incident, summoned former Prosecutor General Shim Woojeong as a suspect on September 21.
Former Prosecutor General Shim appeared at the main entrance of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office building at around 9:54 a.m. that day. He did not answer any questions from reporters regarding his position on the decision not to file an immediate appeal against the cancellation of former President Yoon Seokyeol’s detention, whether he received instructions from former Justice Minister Park Sungjae to dispatch prosecutors during martial law, or suspicions that prosecutors were sent to the National Election Commission.
Previously, the ruling party and civic groups filed a complaint against former Prosecutor General Shim in March, accusing him of abuse of authority and dereliction of duty for not filing an immediate appeal against the court’s decision to cancel former President Yoon’s detention. At the time, former President Yoon, who had been indicted on charges including leading a rebellion, requested the court to cancel his detention, arguing that the indictment was made after the detention period had expired, and the court accepted his request. Within the investigation team, there was an opinion that an immediate appeal should be filed against the court’s decision to cancel the detention to seek a higher court’s judgment. However, after deliberations including a meeting of senior officials at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, former Prosecutor General Shim decided not to contest the decision, citing potential constitutional issues, and ordered the release of former President Yoon.
The special prosecutor team is also expected to verify the facts regarding suspicions of prosecutors being dispatched during martial law in the investigation on this day. There have been allegations that immediately after the declaration of martial law, former Justice Minister Park instructed at a Ministry of Justice executive meeting to “consider dispatching prosecutors to the Joint Investigation Headquarters.” Former Minister Park reportedly had three phone calls with former Prosecutor General Shim from the night of December 3 until the early morning of the following day.
There are also suspicions that, during martial law, a prosecutor from the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office contacted the Defense Counterintelligence Command and was then dispatched to the National Election Commission. During the investigation of counterintelligence agents, the police reportedly obtained testimony that “after the declaration of martial law, we were ordered to support the prosecutors and the National Intelligence Service, who would soon be coming to the National Election Commission.” In contrast, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office refuted these claims, stating, “We did not receive any request for dispatch related to martial law from any agency, including the Defense Counterintelligence Command, nor did we dispatch anyone.”
Earlier, on August 25, the special prosecutor team conducted a search and seizure of former Prosecutor General Shim’s mobile phone and the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in an effort to secure physical evidence to clarify the truth behind the related suspicions.
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