Ex-Prime Minister Han, ex-Finance Minister Choi banned from leaving country on suspicion of martial law involvement
Published: 27 May. 2025, 18:36
Updated: 27 May. 2025, 19:45
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks during a press event hosted by the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club at the Korea Press Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on May 7. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/05/27/e90b0681-c13b-4561-a7cb-79a215d39fcc.jpg)
Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo speaks during a press event hosted by the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club at the Korea Press Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on May 7. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
Police said Tuesday that a travel ban had been imposed on former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok. The travel ban was imposed in mid-May, the JoongAng Ilbo reported.
The ban comes after police questioned the two on Monday regarding their alleged involvement in now-deposed President Yoon Suk Yeol's controversial declaration of martial law on Dec. 3.
The special investigation team on martial law had summoned Han, Choi and former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min the previous day for questioning that lasted approximately 10 hours. Lee has already been subject to a travel ban since December of last year, according to investigative authorities.
Police also stated that the travel bans for senior officials of the Presidential Security Service (PSS), including former Chief Park Jong-joon, Deputy Chief Kim Sung-hoon and security bureau chief Lee Kwang-woo, have been extended this month.
The trio faces charges of obstructing the execution of official duties in connection with efforts to prevent Yoon's arrest.
Investigators have focused on analyzing CCTV footage from the Cabinet meeting room and the presidential office hallway, according to the JoongAng Ilbo, which was recently obtained from the PSS. The analysis aims to determine whether false statements were made during the handover of documents related to martial law.
With both travel bans and interrogations now in effect, the investigation is expected to intensify.
![Former Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok, left, and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo attend a Cabinet meeting at the government complex in central Seoul on April 29. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/05/27/a6613c22-6ba3-4354-855c-9ac6a033425c.jpg)
Former Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok, left, and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo attend a Cabinet meeting at the government complex in central Seoul on April 29. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
“At the time of the declaration, I was completely unaware of the martial law proclamation,” Han said during a National Assembly hearing on Feb. 6. “I only found it in my suit’s back pocket after returning to my office following the Cabinet meeting to lift the order.”
Choi, who is suspected to have received a note from former President Yoon outlining plans to establish an emergency legislative body, previously claimed, “Someone handed me material in the form of a folded note,” adding, “We had already agreed to ignore it, so I set it aside without looking at it.”
Former Minister Lee, during his impeachment trial on Feb. 11, denied allegations that Yoon had ordered certain media outlets' power and water access cut off. “I saw a few paper notes from a distance in the presidential office,” he said. “One of them had the words ‘fire agency power and water cut’ written on it.”
In the course of analyzing encrypted phone server records voluntarily submitted by the PSS, the special investigation team discovered evidence pointing to the remote deletion of user information linked to Yoon; Hong Jang-won, former first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service; and Kim Bong-sik, former chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
While the individual who ordered the remote deletions has not yet been identified, police are not ruling out the possibility that either Yoon or Kim was involved, according to the Ilbo's report.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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