Seoul: A former senior official of South Korea's spy agency has denied allegations that he conveyed a message to the United States supporting former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid. The denial came during questioning by a special counsel team on Friday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Hong Jang-won, the former first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), is accused of playing a significant part in the alleged insurrection. It is claimed that the NIS contacted U.S. intelligence agencies after Yoon declared martial law on December 3, 2024, to justify the emergency measure.
Hong stated that he attempted to clarify misunderstandings during his questioning at the special counsel team's office in Gwacheon, located just south of Seoul. "I believe I have sufficiently cleared up misunderstandings, and I think they now understand the matter enough," Hong told reporters following nine hours of interrogation. This questioning attracted considerable attention, as Hong had effectively served as a "whistleblower" in previous investigations and court hearings concerning the martial law declaration.
The special counsel team, under the leadership of Kwon Chang-young, has charged Hong, former NIS chief Cho Tae-yong, and four other former political appointees at the spy agency with insurrection-related offenses. The team stated that it confirmed specific allegations against the six individuals after acquiring documents justifying the martial law declaration during an April raid on the NIS and by questioning approximately 40 NIS officials.
When questioned by reporters, Hong denied all allegations, asserting that he was unaware of the documents reportedly uncovered during the recent raid on the NIS. However, he declined to answer inquiries regarding whether NIS officials responsible for overseas affairs had contacted their U.S. counterparts and reported back to him.