South Korea: Ex-FM Cho summoned for questioning in martial law probe

Seoul, July 19 (IANS) Former South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul was summoned for questioning on Saturday by a special counsel team responsible for the investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's attempt to impose martial law.

"We are questioning Cho," the team said in a brief statement released to the media.

Cho was summoned as a person of interest, not a suspect, for questioning regarding the circumstances surrounding a Cabinet meeting held shortly before Yoon declared martial law on December 3. He was among the select Cabinet members who attended the meeting.

The special counsel also plans to question Cho about a foreign ministry spokesperson's distribution of controversial press guidance defending the martial law declaration to foreign media on December 5.

Cho had reportedly learned of Yoon's plan after attending the meeting and strongly opposed it.

According to his testimony to the special counsel in December, Cho initially believed the emergency Cabinet meeting was related to contact with then-US President-elect Donald Trump.

When Yoon declared martial law, he reportedly handed Cho a sheet of paper containing instructions for diplomatic missions on how to operate under martial law.

Cho reportedly urged Yoon to reconsider, warning that the move could undermine South Korea's democratic progress built over the past 70 years. Yoon allegedly did not relent, saying the decision was not made for personal reasons.

Despite Cho's opposition, martial law was enforced. A staff member from the presidential office later asked him to sign a related document, which he refused to do, according to his account, Yonhap news agency reported.

Earlier on July 16, a special counsel team had also launched a raid on the home of former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Cho Tae-yong as part of its investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's attempt to impose martial law.

The team, led by special counsel Cho Eun-suk, had also raided seven other locations over the "destruction of evidence following the insurrection," assistant special counsel Park Ji-young told reporters, referring to the martial law bid in December.

The former NIS director was suspected of having helped delete records from secure phones used by Yoon and former NIS deputy director Hong Jang-won after the martial law attempt had failed.

--IANS

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