The second comprehensive special counsel team led by Kwon Chang-young, which is investigating remaining allegations following the three special counsel probes (insurrection, Kim Keon-hee, and deceased Marine), said it has confirmed evidence that the Defense Counterintelligence Command (DCC) had been preparing for martial law.
"Through questioning of DCC officials, we have confirmed circumstances indicating that the DCC began preparing for martial law in the first half of 2024," Assistant Special Counsel Kim Ji-mi said during a briefing at the special counsel team's office in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday.
Earlier, the insurrection special counsel team led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-suk had determined that former President Yoon first began preparing for emergency martial law before October 2023. The basis was that memos related to military commander personnel appointments found in the notebook of former Defense Intelligence Command chief Noh Sang-won were reflected in the October 2023 military personnel reshuffle.
The team also imposed a one-month pay cut disciplinary action on a special investigator who recently stirred controversy by posting interrogation records on social media. The investigator had uploaded a witness statement on his social media account on Sunday and posted a photo taken with Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young, sparking controversy. The post has since been deleted.
In addition, the comprehensive special counsel said it has sent summons to four prosecutors from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office investigation team in connection with allegations of covering up the investigation into stock price manipulation involving Deutsch Motors and first lady Kim Keon-hee. To verify circumstances surrounding the so-called "VIP-style questioning," two officials from the Presidential Security Service were also questioned as witnesses.
