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Time-stamped ChatGPT martial law query drops Yoon's security officials in hot water

Published: 19 Mar. 2025, 17:10

Lee Kwang-woo, chief of bodyguard division at the Presidential Security Service, attends a police questioning session at headquarters of the National Office of Investigation in western Seoul on Jan. 24. [NEWS1]

Police obtained evidence suggesting that the acting chief of the Presidential Security Service (PSS), and the head of its bodyguard division knew of the martial law declaration plan of Dec. 3 before Cabinet members did, as indicated by a ChatGPT search.

According to police on Wednesday, the special investigation team on martial law under the National Office of Investigation (NOI) uncovered this information while analyzing PSS acting Chief Kim Seong-hoon and head of the bodyguard division Lee Kwang-woo’s personal and work mobile phones, which were seized on Feb. 3.

Authorities plan to investigate both Kim and Lee to determine whether they aided in insurrection.

The revelation came after confirming that Lee searched terms such as “martial law,” “martial law declaration,” and “dissolution of the National Assembly” using ChatGPT at around 8:20 p.m. on Dec. 3 last year, before the president declared the decree at around 10:28 p.m.

Police are reportedly focusing on the timing of Lee’s searches. According to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial and the National Assembly’s state investigation, Cabinet members were contacted and arrived at the presidential office one after one before martial law was declared on Dec. 3 last year.

Justice Minister Park Sung-jae arrived at the presidential office at approximately 8:30 p.m. that day, followed by Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho at 8:35 p.m. and former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min at 8:40 p.m. In police and prosecution investigations, Cabinet members reportedly testified that they only learned about martial law after arriving at the presidential office.

Police suspect that Lee was aware of the martial law declaration before Cabinet members and that Kim was the one who informed him. Kim, who was in close proximity to Yoon, is believed to have relayed the information to Lee. As a result, police included these details in their request for an arrest warrant for Kim and others. They are also reviewing whether to charge Kim and Lee with aiding insurrection.

“During the forensic process, it was confirmed that the searches in question were conducted after martial law was enacted,” said Lee’s attorney, refuting the allegations. “He learned about the martial law declaration by watching TV.”

“Time discrepancies were found during forensic analysis regarding internet searches and the use of social networking services such as Telegram and KakaoTalk,” said the attorney. “The ChatGPT search is entirely unrelated to charges of obstructing official duties or abuse of power.”

Since the police investigation began in January, Kim and Lee have remained silent, refusing to disclose when they became aware of the martial law declaration.

Additionally, police discovered that Kim redacted certain details related to former Defense Security Command chief Yeo In-hyung and former Special Warfare Command chief Kwak Jong-keun when he voluntarily submitted part of the secret phone record ledger to the prosecution on Jan. 25.

As a result, police are investigating whether Kim ordered the deletion of secret phone server records within the security service, considering potential charges of abuse of power under the Presidential Security Act.

Authorities believe detaining Kim and Lee is crucial for confirming their involvement in aiding insurrection and advancing the investigation into the secret phone server records.

Police attended the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office warrant review committee on March 6, stressing the necessity of detention. The committee decided that the prosecution should request arrest warrants leading to the prosecution filing for Kim and Lee’s arrest the previous day. After the fourth attempt for Kim and the third for Lee, police will now receive a court ruling on their requests.

The Seoul Western District Court will hold a pre-arrest interrogation for Kim and Lee at 10:30 a.m. on Friday.

“If the investigation under detention proceeds, it is expected to gain momentum in probing the insurrection allegations and the secret phone records,” said a police official.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]