Former President Yoon Suk Yeol called Rep. Choo Kyung-ho, who was the floor leader of the People's Power Party, right after the Dec. 3 emergency martial law was declared, and said, "(The martial law) will not last long, so don't worry. I will do well now."
According to Choo's indictment by Cho Eun-seok's special prosecutor's team on the 9th, former President Yoon spoke with Choo for 2 minutes and 5 seconds at 11:22 p.m. on December 3 last year and said, "The constitutional order and state affairs are paralyzed now because the giant opposition party is holding back the state affairs."
The special prosecution team stated in the indictment that former President Yoon "asked for cooperation by promising voluntary early lifting of the emergency martial law," adding, "Rep. Choo did not raise any issues, such as opposing the emergency martial law or expressing concerns, and decided to follow the purpose of former President Yoon's call."
The independent counsel team believed that before Choo talked to former President Yoon, he talked to Hong Chul-ho, then senior presidential secretary for political affairs, and Prime Minister Han Deok-soo one after another to grasp the purpose and situation of declaring emergency martial law.
Hong spoke to Choo for three minutes and 23 seconds at 10:56 p.m., saying, "Both the chief of staff and the chief of staff opposed it. He explained to the effect that he had dissuaded hundreds of thousands of citizens from pouring out, but the president told him not to stop him and pushed ahead."
Former Prime Minister Han also spoke to Choo at 11:11 p.m. and explained for 7 minutes and 33 seconds that "the president declared it even though the members of the State Council opposed the declaration of emergency martial law."
Although this is important information for lawmakers of the People's Power to recognize the unconstitutionality and illegality of emergency martial law and decide whether to participate in the National Assembly's vote to lift martial law, Choo did not share the call, the special prosecution team pointed out.
The indictment also included that lawmakers in the floor leader's office with Choo contacted former representative Han Dong-hoon or other lawmakers to induce them to leave the plenary session.
Three lawmakers in the floor leader's office contacted the members of the People's Power in the plenary session room and the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts between 11:54 p.m. on the 3rd and 0:13 p.m. on the 4th.
Upon hearing that the floor leadership was in the floor leader's office, the four lawmakers moved from the plenary session hall and the budget committee meeting room to the floor leader's office and stayed in the representative office until the demand for lifting martial law was resolved.
Rep. Shin Dong-wook, who was in the floor leader's office, moved to the plenary session twice at midnight and 0:27 on the 4th and demanded Han come out of the plenary session, saying, "Our party should take an action and gather opinions to organize its position," the special prosecution team said in the indictment.
The special prosecution team believed that Choo responded to former representative Han's request to come to the plenary session, saying, "There are Democratic Party members there, and it is an open place, so wouldn't it be okay to organize various situations from below?" and rather made former representative Han and members of the People's Power come out of the plenary session.
Former representative Han contacted Choo through the secretary-general at the time, Seo Bum-soo, and demanded that "some lawmakers come to the plenary session of the National Assembly," but Choo refused to share the call with the lawmakers in the floor leader's office.
In response to the indictment, Choo said he had not been asked to cooperate with former President Yoon in maintaining martial law, but rather changed the venue of the general assembly from the headquarters to the National Assembly and entered the National Assembly.
Choo's side previously claimed, "We did not induce the lawmakers in the plenary session to leave," adding, "We just asked them to go to the plenary session after discussing with the lawmakers before the plenary session, and if Han had come out of the plenary session and had a meeting with the lawmakers as Choo suggested, the number of lawmakers participating in the vote would have increased further."
Meanwhile, Lee Jung-jae, a senior judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, rejected the arrest warrant on the 3rd, saying, "It is reasonable to make a reasonable judgment and punishment after a close and faithful legal battle because there is room for dispute over charges and legal principles."
"Considering the need for the suspect to exercise his right to defend himself with the assistance of a lawyer while in custody, the residence and career of the suspect, the progress and attendance of the investigation, and the degree of collection of related evidence, it is difficult to say that there is a risk of running away and destroying evidence," he said. "It is difficult to admit the validity of the arrest."
Rep. Choo is accused of obstructing other lawmakers from participating in the vote by changing the venue of the general assembly several times ahead of the National Assembly's vote to lift the emergency martial law on December 3 last year.
Choo, the floor leader of the People's Power at the time, convened an emergency general meeting of lawmakers after the declaration of martial law and changed the venue to the National Assembly → the headquarters → the National Assembly → the headquarters.
As a result, many members of the People's Power were unable to attend the resolution to lift martial law at the time, and the National Assembly's resolution to lift it was passed with 190 present and 190 in favor without 90 out of 108 members of the People's Power.
Reporter Lee Taeyoung tylee@kwnews.co.kr
Whether it was Yoon Suk-yeol calling, or just a personal decision, both the one who gave the order not to gather at the National Assembly and those who obeyed it are all unqualified.
They are pathetic and shameless people.