Did They Cooperate or Sympathize with the Rebellion...Local Government Heads Also Under Special Investigation

[Financial News] The special prosecutor team for rebellion and foreign affairs (Cho Eun-seok special prosecutor) has begun verifying the facts regarding allegations that some local governments cooperated with the martial law by closing government buildings during the emergency martial law.
According to the legal community on the 14th, the special prosecutor team plans to determine whether the local governments at the time took relevant actions according to the command chain of 'Prime Minister→Office for Government Policy Coordination→Ministry of the Interior and Safety→Local Governments'. If so, they will also examine whether it was an order from a higher institution or the independent judgment of the local government head.
The special prosecutor team reportedly confirmed the overall suspicions, including the timing of the closure order to local governments and government agencies, while investigating Bang Gi-seon, the former head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, who assisted former Prime Minister Han Deok-soo during the martial law, as a reference on the 12th.
The local governments in question include Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Gangwon Province, and Gyeongbuk Province. In the case of Seoul and Busan, there is suspicion that they closed their government buildings about 40 minutes before the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's order was issued.
Therefore, it is suggested that in some local governments, it might have been the decision of the head. Alternatively, the special prosecutor team believes they might have received the closure order through a different route than the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
If the special prosecutor team acknowledges the involvement of the heads, it is expected that the investigation could expand to include local government heads affiliated with the People's Power Party, such as Oh Se-hoon, the Mayor of Seoul, or Park Hyung-joon, the Mayor of Busan.
The special prosecutor team is expected to summon officials from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and local governments soon to verify the overall facts related to these suspicions.
However, local governments such as Seoul and Busan strongly deny the allegations. In a statement issued under the spokesperson's name, Seoul stated, “We have already clarified the situation on the day of the martial law and the actions of Seoul based on facts in detail several times,” claiming it is an “unfounded suspicion.” Busan also reportedly denied the allegations, stating that Mayor Park issued a statement immediately after the martial law declaration by former President Yoon Seok-yeol, saying, 'The martial law must be immediately withdrawn.'
The special prosecutor team additionally searched the security department of the Korea Coast Guard, which is accused of participating in the rebellion, and reportedly notified the initiation of an investigation into Heo Seok-gon, Commissioner of the National Fire Agency, and Lee Young-pal, Deputy Commissioner of the National Fire Agency, regarding the order to cut off media power and water supply.
Meanwhile, the special prosecutor team led by Kim Geon-hee (Min Jung-ki special prosecutor) has filed arrest warrants for Kwon Seong-dong, a member of the People's Power Party, former prosecutor Kim Sang-min, and Park Chang-wook, a member of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Assembly, with detention hearings scheduled for this week. The pre-arrest interrogation (warrant review) for Kwon, who is pointed out as the origin of the state affairs manipulation conspiracy involving Kim and the Unification Church, is set for 2 p.m. on the 16th. Former prosecutor Kim, who is accused of violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and the Political Funds Act, is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on the 17th, and Park, a member of the provincial assembly, on the 15th.




kyu0705@fnnews.com Kim Dong-kyu and Jeong Kyung-soo reporters