'Rebellion Abetment Charges' Han Deok-su, Appears at Special Prosecutor's Office... Silent to Reporters' Questions
- Input
- 2025-08-19 09:59:36
- Updated
- 2025-08-19 09:59:36
Possibility of Arrest Warrant After Today's Summons Investigation
Former Prime Minister Han appeared at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, where the special prosecutor's office is located, at around 9:25 AM on the 19th, wearing a navy suit and a light blue tie. He did not answer reporters' questions such as 'Do you still maintain that you did not participate in or support the rebellion?' and 'What is your stance on the reports that you took the martial law documents?'.
The special prosecutor team plans to focus on questioning former Prime Minister Han, who was the 'second person in state affairs', about suspicions of participating in or abetting the illegal emergency martial law declaration by former President Yoon Seok-yeol on December 3 last year.
Special Prosecutor Park Ji-young stated in a press briefing on the 18th regarding the investigation of former Prime Minister Han, "It is expected that the investigation will mainly focus on how the role or constitutional duty of the Prime Minister, as the first assistant institution to the President and vice-chairman of the Cabinet meeting, can be connected to criminal responsibility in relation to the declaration or lifting of emergency martial law."
According to the Constitution and the Government Organization Act, the Prime Minister receives the President's orders to oversee executive departments and direct and supervise heads of administrative agencies. In other words, since the Prime Minister is involved in decision-making before and after the emergency martial law declaration, the special prosecutor team views him as a 'key accomplice' in the rebellion acts resulting from illegal emergency martial law.
Former Prime Minister Han is also suspected of △ drafting and discarding a post-martial law declaration to supplement legal defects in the initial martial law declaration △ being involved in obstructing the National Assembly's resolution to lift martial law by communicating with former People Power Party floor leader Choo Kyung-ho at around 11:12 PM on the day of the emergency martial law.
The special prosecutor team's summons investigation of former Prime Minister Han is the second following the one on the 2nd of last month. The special prosecutor team also secured materials by searching former Prime Minister Han's residence and other places on the 24th of last month.
There is a possibility that the special prosecutor team will apply for an arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Han after completing the investigation today. This is because the special prosecutor team did not exceed two summonses after re-arresting former President Yoon Seok-yeol and arresting former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min since its inception. In the case of former President Yoon, the special prosecutor team summoned him to the office on June 28 and July 5, and applied for an arrest warrant on July 6 without additional summons. In the case of former Minister Lee, he was summoned on July 15 and 25 and an arrest warrant was filed with the court 5 days later on charges of engaging in important duties related to rebellion and abuse of authority.
This is interpreted as the special prosecutor team's strategy to secure custody by first applying provable charges, given the legal time constraints of the speed battle. Even though the suspect can receive legal assistance, the psychological pressure on the suspect is also one of the reasons.
kyu0705@fnnews.com Kim Dong-kyu Reporter