SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) - The National Police Agency's special investigation team announced Sunday that it had obtained phone records from President Yoon Suk Yeol as part of its probe into the president's declaration and execution of emergency martial law on Dec. 3.
The president declared martial law at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 3, citing threats to national security. Martial forces were deployed to major government facilities, including the National Assembly and the main office of the National Election Commission.
In response, 190 lawmakers gathered at the National Assembly and unanimously passed a resolution at around 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 4 to lift martial law. During the session, hundreds of special forces soldiers attempted to breach the National Assembly’s main building to disrupt the vote but were blocked by parliamentary workers who had built barricades with furniture.
Investigators secured a warrant to access the call records from Yoon’s personal mobile phone to trace communications with individuals involved in the martial law declaration. The police are also working to obtain the president’s secure-line phone and its call logs from the Presidential Security Service.
Additionally, the special investigation task force acquired a "directive document" issued by Yoon to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok. The document reportedly instructed the deputy prime minister to cut funding for the National Assembly’s operations and allocate a budget for legislative management under martial law.
As part of the investigation, Unification Minister Kim Young-ho was questioned by police on Saturday. To date, 10 key government officials who participated in the Cabinet meeting prior to the declaration of martial law have been questioned, excluding Yoon and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.
Investigators said that have internally concluded that there were procedural and substantive flaws in the Cabinet meeting, citing the absence of the administrative secretary from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and a lack of related documents.
The National Assembly passed an impeachment motion on Dec. 14, suspending Yoon from his duties. The motion, approved by a vote of 204 to 85, cited allegations of rebellion and abuse of power. It came 11 days after Yoon’s abrupt martial law declaration.
So far, Yoon has refused to accept legal documents sent by the Constitutional Court, delaying the impeachment trial process. The court is expected to decide on Monday whether to leave the documents at the designated addresses and consider them delivered.
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