Former NIS Deputy Director Hong Jang-won Re-summoned for Questioning by Special Prosecutor's Team

The special prosecutor's team, led by Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young, summoned Hong Jang-won, former First Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), for the third time to investigate suspicions related to martial law.

The special prosecutor's team stated that during its investigation of NIS officials, it detected circumstances where the NIS received a Korean-language document from the National Security Office the morning after martial law was declared, along with a request to 'explain the background of martial law to allied nations.' The team further revealed that, following instructions from former NIS Director Cho Tae-yong, the overseas affairs department under Hong Jang-won summoned the head of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in South Korea to the NIS to explain the document's intent, and that Hong was briefed on and approved this entire process.

Hong Jang-won had denied allegations of discussing support for the Joint Investigation Headquarters' (JIH) operations at a department heads' meeting shortly after martial law was declared, stating that the word 'JIH' was 'never mentioned.' However, the special prosecutor's team suspects that he convened a meeting of his subordinate department heads on the day martial law was declared and issued related directives.