Second Special Counsel Raids Home of Former Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo Over 'Deceiving U.S. Ambassador' Allegation

[Financial News] The Second Comprehensive Special Prosecutor Team, led by Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young, has launched a compulsory investigation into former First Deputy Director of the Office of National Security Kim Tae-hyo on suspicion of participating in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's insurrection during the December 3 emergency martial law incident.
The special prosecutor's team announced in a press notice on the 9th that on the 8th it sent prosecutors and investigators to Kim's home and his university research office to execute a search and seizure warrant. The warrant is reported to cite the charge of performing key duties in an insurrection.
Kim is suspected of taking part in the insurrection by trying to persuade diplomats from allied countries of the legitimacy of the martial law. During the emergency martial law, he allegedly called Philip Goldberg, the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, and told him that "martial law was unavoidable," among other remarks.
Earlier, in January last year, then–Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmaker Chung Dong-young, now the unification minister, raised allegations that Kim had called Ambassador Goldberg immediately after the lifting of martial law. According to Chung, Kim insisted that "martial law was unavoidable in order to eradicate anti-state forces that had destroyed Korea's judicial and administrative systems through a legislative dictatorship."
Kim, however, has flatly denied any involvement in the martial law. He acknowledges that he received a call from Ambassador Goldberg about an hour after the declaration of emergency martial law, but says he simply told the ambassador, "Let us watch how the situation develops," before ending the call.
kyu0705@fnnews.com Kim Dong-gyu Reporter