[Breaking News] Sim Woo-jeong, Former Prosecutor General, Appears for Investigation as Defendant in Rebellion Special Prosecutor Case

Former Prosecutor General Sim appeared at the central entrance of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office at around 9:54 a.m. that day, but did not answer any questions from reporters regarding 'the decision not to immediately appeal the cancellation of former President Yoon Seok-yeol's arrest', 'whether he received instructions from former Minister of Justice Park Seong-jae to dispatch prosecutors during martial law', or 'the suspicion that prosecutors were dispatched to the National Election Commission'.

Previously, the ruling party and civic groups accused former Prosecutor General Sim of abuse of authority and dereliction of duty, claiming he did not immediately appeal the decision to cancel former President Yoon's arrest in March.

At that time, former President Yoon, who was indicted on charges including being the leader of the rebellion, filed for the cancellation of his arrest, stating that the prosecution's indictment was made after the detention period expired, and the court accepted this.

The investigation team suggested that the court's decision to cancel the arrest should be immediately appealed to obtain a higher court's judgment. However, former Prosecutor General Sim decided not to contest it, considering potential constitutional issues, after going through a meeting of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and directed the release of former President Yoon.

The special prosecutor team is expected to verify the facts regarding the suspicion of prosecutor dispatch during martial law in the investigation that day.

Former Minister Park is under suspicion of having instructed the dispatch of prosecutors to the Joint Investigation Headquarters during a Ministry of Justice executive meeting immediately after the declaration of martial law. Former Minister Park reportedly had three phone calls with former Prosecutor General Sim from 11 p.m. on December 3rd last year until the early hours of the next day.

There is also a suspicion that a prosecutor from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office contacted the Military Counterintelligence Command during martial law and then was dispatched to the National Election Commission.