Special Investigation into Insurrection Narrows on Choo Kyung-ho... Opposition from People Power Party: "Cannot Neglect Duties"

[Financial News] The investigative focus of the Special Prosecutor's Office on Insurrection and Foreign Affairs (led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok) is turning towards Choo Kyung-ho, former floor leader of the People Power Party, among others. Despite opposition from the People Power Party regarding the investigation into the 'obstruction of the National Assembly's martial law termination,' the special prosecutor's team expressed their determination by stating, "Not investigating is neglecting duty."
According to the legal community on the 13th, the special prosecutor's team has obtained records of Choo's consecutive calls with Hong Cheol-ho, Chief of Political Affairs at the Presidential Office, Han Deok-soo, Prime Minister, and Yoon Seok-yeol, former President, immediately after the declaration of martial law on December 3.
The special prosecutor's team believes that Choo and others were involved in obstructing the vote on the National Assembly's martial law termination resolution, as the majority of People Power Party lawmakers did not attend. They suspect that Choo may have been asked to cooperate with the success of the December 3 martial law during his calls with former President Yoon and others, and that he might have actually carried out these requests.
The special prosecutor's team plans to summon Choo for questioning. Prior to this, they sent a request for cooperation in the investigation by mail to some People Power Party lawmakers who did not participate in the vote. Special Prosecutor Park Ji-young explained in a press briefing that "a request for cooperation in the investigation was sent to clarify the truth."
In political circles, the investigation into the obstruction of the National Assembly's martial law termination resolution vote by the special prosecutor's team is being labeled as 'political oppression.' Na Kyung-won, a lawmaker of the People Power Party, stated on her social networking service (SNS) that "the Democratic Party and the special prosecutor's political offensive and oppression should not be supported or matched," adding that "it would be foolish to become an accomplice in the political purge of conservative forces by paving the Silk Road for the Democratic Party's scenario of conservative annihilation."
Previously, the People Power Party expressed regret through a media notice the day before, stating that "despite knowing that the conversation was deleted due to a simple mistake in the automatic timer setting, the Cho Eun-seok special prosecutor's team leaked it to the media as if it were an intentional allegation." The special prosecutor's team reportedly discovered that two months of conversation history in the People Power Party lawmakers' Telegram group chat was deleted before and after the declaration of martial law, which they rebutted.
In response to such criticism, Special Prosecutor Park emphasized that "the Special Investigation Law specifies the obstruction of the National Assembly's martial law termination resolution vote as a target for investigation, and the special prosecutor was appointed to investigate this," adding that "not conducting the legally mandated investigation constitutes neglect of duty, and the special prosecutor's legitimate performance of duties should not be politically exploited or disparaged."
The Special Investigation Law on Insurrection and Foreign Affairs, Article 2, Clause 3, specifies as a target for investigation 'the criminal allegations of attempts to obstruct the National Assembly vote by mobilizing the physical force of the military and police in relation to the December 3 martial law, and other methods of attempting to obstruct the vote.'


kyu0705@fnnews.com Kim Dong-kyu Reporter