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Police summons former ministers in insurrection investigation

Published: 26 May. 2025, 16:30 Updated: 26 May. 2025, 19:11

Former Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok leaves a plenary session at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul on May 1. [YONHAP]

Police summoned Choi Sang-mok, former deputy prime minister for economic affairs, for questioning at noon on Monday.

The summon follows those of Han Duck-soo, former prime minister, and Lee Sang-min, former interior and safety minister at 10 a.m. on the same day. They were questioned over their alleged involvement in the controversial martial law declaration on Dec. 3.

The Monday questioning comes after a CCTV footage appeared to contradict statements the officials previously made to law enforcement and during legislative hearings.

All three had been previously questioned at least once by police on charges of insurrection, stemming from the events surrounding the Dec. 3 martial law declaration by former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Han Duck-soo [YONHAP]

Police say new evidence prompted the additional questioning. Recently obtained CCTV footage from the presidential office corridors and reception rooms showed activity between 6 p.m. on Dec. 3 and the following day — a critical time frame leading up to the martial law announcement. Investigators found inconsistencies between the footage and prior statements made by the three former officials.

Han previously testified in his first questioning on Dec. 13 that he headed to the presidential office after receiving a call from then President Yoon at 8 p.m. on the day martial law was declared. Han also stated that he had not been informed of the martial law plan in advance and that he repeatedly tried to dissuade the president.

In a parliamentary hearing in February, Han said, “[The martial law declaration] was such a shocking situation that it’s hard to recall everything clearly,” and avoided answering questions about a note that had reportedly been circulated during the Cabinet meeting. The note allegedly instructed officials to secure emergency funds, including from legislative reserves, in preparation for martial law.

Former Minister Lee, testifying as a witness during the seventh impeachment hearing in February, said he had briefly seen several notes at the presidential office, one of which contained references to cutting off power and water services.

“I saw them from a distance while entering the room to urge the president against the martial law declaration. I only stayed for about one to two minutes,” he said.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Choi told lawmakers at a Feb. 6 hearing that someone did hand him a note, however, when asked whether he read it, Choi said he “didn’t read the contents. Since it came in note form, I handed it to one of my aides to hold onto. It was such a chaotic moment under martial law — I didn’t think to read it.”

Choi made similar remarks during emergency parliamentary inquiries, saying, “I didn’t know what the note was about at the time, so I just stuffed it in my pocket,” and, “It wasn’t until I saw the National Assembly vote to lift martial law that I realized the note existed.”

Choi also reportedly told investigators that he deliberately withheld his signature from the Cabinet meeting minutes as a way to express his opposition to the declaration.

At a National Assembly hearing on Feb. 6, Choi said he received a paper during the Cabinet meeting that included budgetary details for an emergency legislative body, but added that he “had no interest in it and didn’t intend to open it,” and had simply “stuffed it in his pocket” amid the chaos.

Former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min answers questions as a witness during the seventh hearing of the Constitutional Court’s impeachment trial of then-President Yoon Suk Yeol in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Feb. 11. [NEWS1]

A police official said the CCTV footage and recently publicized testimony showed “clear discrepancies” that required clarification.

“We are in the process of verifying those inconsistencies,” the police said.

All three officials claimed they advised against the declaration of martial law during questioning. Investigators are now working to determine whether the officials misrepresented their roles during the Cabinet meeting and whether they were actively involved in supporting or facilitating the emergency measures. Police are also examining whether the former officials directly received any related documents.

Separately, investigators have found evidence suggesting that key data stored on secure phones used by former President Yoon, former National Intelligence Service Deputy Director Hong Jang-won, and former Seoul Police Chief Kim Bong-sik was remotely deleted on Dec. 6, three days after the martial law declaration. The deleted data was discovered during a forensic analysis of encrypted phone servers recently provided by the Presidential Security Service. Police described the level of deletion as tantamount to a factory reset. While no one has been formally charged with destruction of evidence, investigators say the circumstances warrant further inquiry.

BY LEE HAY-JUNE [[email protected]]