Detention Review for Former NIS Director Cho Tae-yong Dismissed

According to the legal community on the 17th, the Seoul Central District Court held a detention review for Cho, who was arrested on charges including dereliction of duty and violation of the political neutrality provision of the NIS Act, and dismissed his request.

Cho's legal team argued that the special prosecutor’s team led by Cho Eun-seok had already secured most of the key evidence through searches and witness interviews, eliminating concerns about destruction of evidence, and that there was room for dispute over the charges. However, the court did not accept these arguments.

The court also appeared unconvinced by claims from Cho's side that his health had deteriorated to the point where he could not endure detention.

During the review, the special prosecutor’s team reportedly submitted a 135-page opinion, emphasizing the legitimacy of the detention and concerns about possible destruction of evidence.

Previously, the special prosecutor’s team had requested an arrest warrant for Cho on July 7 on charges of dereliction of duty as NIS director, after he failed to inform the National Assembly of a report from then-NIS Deputy Director Hong Jang-won that martial law forces were searching for Lee Jae Myung and Han Dong-hoon.

Jungho Park, the judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, conducted a pre-arrest interrogation and issued the warrant on the 12th, stating there were concerns about destruction of evidence.

During the martial law period, Cho is also accused of violating the NIS Act's prohibition on political involvement by first providing NIS CCTV footage of Hong Jang-won's movements to the People Power Party, while withholding footage of his own movements from the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).

Cho is also accused of giving false testimony before the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court of Korea, and submitting false written answers to the National Assembly’s special committee investigating the insurrection allegations.

He also faces charges of participating in the deletion of secure phone records involving former President Yoon and Hong Jang-won, which is considered destruction of evidence. After Hong Jang-won disclosed his call records with former President Yoon, a call took place between Cho and former Presidential Security Service Chief Park Jong-jun, after which the secure phone records were deleted.