Kim Yong Hyun is under arrest for "Invincible State of Insurrection"...The first preparation date for the impeachment trial ends.

■ Host: Jeong Jin-hyung Anchor, Lee Eun-sol Reporter
■ Appearance: Baek Jong-gyu, YTN social affairs reporter

* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information. Please specify [YTN New Square 8PM] when quoting.

[Anchor]
From now on, let's take a look at the emergency martial law situation with Baek Jong-kyu, a reporter from the Ministry of Social Affairs. Please come in. Hello? We just told you in the news that former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun has been indicted for the first time among those involved in the emergency martial law incident. Please organize the related news first.

[Reporter]
That's right. He's accused of leading the emergency martial law crisis. Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun was put on trial in custody today. The prosecution arrested and prosecuted former Minister Kim, who is accused of obstructing the exercise of rights to abuse his authority and important civil war. The arrest deadline for former Minister Kim, who was arrested on the 8th, will expire on the 28th. It's tomorrow. Because it's Saturday, I put former Minister Kim on trial today. According to the prosecution's data, President Yoon Suk Yeol is listed as a major accomplice.

[Anchor]
So looking at the indictment. It is said that the prosecution pointed out President Yoon as a major accomplice. There was also a specific order from President Yoon?

[Reporter]
That's right. The entire indictment has not been disclosed. The prosecution revealed the contents through a press reference. As the prosecution indicted Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun in custody, it also indicated the investigation of major accomplices and instructions. It was also revealed that President Yoon Suk Yeol gave direct instructions to block the National Assembly and obstruct the vote. It is known that President Yoon Suk Yeol called National Police Agency Commissioner Jo Ji-ho several times from the time of the announcement to the approval of the National Assembly's request for the lifting of martial law. President Yoon Suk Yeol arrests Commissioner Cho and all lawmakers who want to enter the National Assembly, arrest him, it's illegal, it's all a violation of the decree, arrest him. It's said that they ordered it like this. In addition, the president called Lee Jin-woo, commander of the Capital Defense Command, and said, "Did you still not go in?" and "Go into the plenary session hall and four people come out one by one." And what are you doing, breaking the door and pulling it out, even if you shoot a gun, breaking the door and pulling it out. After the approval of President Yoon Suk Yeol's request to lift martial law, he called the commander of the Capital Defense Command again and instructed him. They said they had to move the troops before martial law was declared, but everyone objected and even if it was lifted, I could declare martial law twice or three times, so keep going, they ordered it like this. The indictment says that former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who received the president's instructions, also ordered him to comply with the president's instructions.

[Anchor]
You delivered the contents of the indictment in considerable detail, but in addition to this, it turned out that President Yoon Suk Yeol actively ordered the attempt to interfere with the decision to lift the emergency martial law or the entry of special forces into the National Assembly.

[Reporter]
That's right. On the day of martial law, special forces came down by helicopter on the lawn of the National Assembly. President Yoon also instructed Special Warfare Commander Kwak Jong-geun to see where the helicopter was going and to move troops to the National Assembly in a hurry. It seems that the quorum of the National Assembly's decision has not been filled yet, so the statement is that he ordered to quickly enter the National Assembly, break the door with an axe, and go inside and pull it out. Former Minister Kim Yong-hyun also reportedly gave the same order to Kwak Jong-geun, commander of the Special Warfare Command. With this, martial law forces broke through the window of the National Assembly building and entered. It is said that the president also ordered the formation and operation of major arrest groups. The president said he ordered the first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service to take this opportunity and give the National Intelligence Service the right to investigate anti-aircraft, so first, help the counterintelligence agents and support them. Earlier, Hong Jang-won, the former first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, testified the same at the National Assembly.

[Anchor]
These are quite contradictory to the claims made by President Yoon and former Minister Kim so far, but President Yoon has not ordered arrest and has expressed his position that it was a warning martial law by the National Assembly.

[Reporter]
That's right. Seok Dong-hyun, a lawyer for the president of Yoon Suk Yeol, did not even bring up the arrest, the president said. I emphasized it like this. And Kim Yong-hyun, the former defense minister's lawyer, made similar remarks at a press conference yesterday. He emphasized that he declared a warning martial law to raise the alarm at the National Assembly. He has repeatedly argued that emergency martial law is not a crime of rebellion as it is a constitutional authority for the president. He also argued that if he wanted to achieve full-scale and effective martial law, he would have declared martial law at dawn by sending troops in advance and completely controlling the entry into the National Assembly's compound. He also said that President Yoon clarified his instructions not to block lawmakers from entering the parliament on the day of martial law. The allegation that he ordered the blocking of lawmakers by phone was also not true, but according to the indictment of former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, the president is known to have given active orders himself. It is known that they have ordered the blockade of the National Assembly, obstruction of the vote, attempts to obstruct the resolution to lift the emergency martial law, and entry of special forces troops into the National Assembly. However, the indictment contains all the statements of the accomplices' allegations while explaining former Minister Kim's allegations. Now, former Minister Kim's lawyers have to respond by securing evidence or statements that overturn the prosecution's claims. Therefore, the prosecution's indictment has not been confirmed through trial. If the battle between the prosecution and former Minister Kim continues during the trial, more specific situations at the time of the emergency martial law could be revealed.

[Anchor]
So far, you have summarized the contents of the indictment related to President Yoon Suk Yeol, but wasn't it related to former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun? What was it about?

[Reporter]
That's right. Prosecutors understand that former Minister Kim arrested and detained about 10 key figures, including National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik, representative Han Dong-hoon, and representative Lee Jae-myung, to Yeo In-hyeong counterintelligence commander. As the decision to lift martial law was imminent, we first selected another person to be arrested. They ordered the arrest of Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, Woo Won-sik, chairman of the National Assembly, and Han Dong-hoon, former chairman of the People's Power Party. The counterintelligence agency first arrested three people and ordered them to move to detention facilities. In the process of arresting key figures, circumstances were revealed that they should arrest first. The prosecution's investigation found that the National Police Agency and the Ministry of National Defense's investigation headquarters also participated in the arrest of key figures. It is also revealed that former Minister Kim ordered the deployment of intelligence command forces to take control of the central election committee immediately after the declaration of martial law. It is understood that counterintelligence and special forces troops were dispatched to the NEC and attempted to take out the NEC server. It also revealed baseball bats and hammers prepared by the NEC's arrest team. There was also a situation in which he planned to detain an NEC employee by tying him with a rope and covering him with a mask. In addition, the prosecution saw that former Minister Kim's actions were recognized for the purpose of the national constitution, and that it was also a riot, which is a constituent requirement for rebellion. And the president, March 2024, so from March of this year. It is believed that he discussed martial law with former Minister Kim Yong-hyun. Prosecutors have been preparing for martial law since November and wrote in the indictment that President Yoon Suk Yeol mentioned that special measures are needed at his official residence on November 24. The prosecution believes that President Yoon Suk Yeol made at least nine remarks and discussions on martial law until the day before the declaration of the emergency martial law.

[Anchor]
We'll have to keep watching the process of the trial. Today was the day to prepare for the defense. There were also these positions that the appointment of the president's delegation could be idle due to the delay in the appointment of the president's delegation, but did the delegation attend today?

[Reporter]
That's right. Today, the Constitutional Court's impeachment trial National Assembly and President Yoon Suk Yeol's preparation date for the first hearing of the impeachment trial was held with different litigation strategies. President Yoon Suk Yeol's first defense preparation period, which began at 2 p.m. today, was held. The delegation began their active arguments with the start of the impeachment hearing preparation period. On the National Assembly side, Chung Chung-rae, chairman of the National Assembly's Legislative and Judiciary Committee, and Kim Hee-soo, co-representative of the delegation, attended. On the Yoon Suk Yeol's side, lawyer Bae Bo-yoon, a former constitutional researcher, lawyer Bae Jin-han, and lawyer Yoon Gap-geun attended. President Yoon Suk Yeol's decision to appoint an agent to respond to the impeachment trial in earnest came 13 days after the impeachment motion was passed by the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court was filed. However, President Yoon Suk Yeol did not come out today because he was not obligated to attend. The agency also said it plans to reinforce the agency in the future, adding that the overall size has not yet been confirmed.

[Anchor]
So, the National Assembly and the President of Yoon Suk Yeol had their first face-to-face meeting at an official meeting, and they revealed different litigation strategies at this meeting, what part is it?

[Reporter]
The National Assembly emphasized that it would focus on the violation of the Constitution, not on whether or not the crime of rebellion is established under the criminal law. The purpose is to focus on whether President Yoon Suk Yeol violates the Constitution, regardless of the strict requirements for criminal crimes. The National Assembly also urged President Yoon Suk Yeol to cooperate with the process. On the other hand, President Yoon Suk Yeol emphasized that not only the actual part of the impeachment prosecution, but also the procedural part such as the National Assembly's decision process and the delivery of documents by the Constitutional Court. In addition, he showed an attitude of reservation regarding the recognition of basic facts, expressing his intention to fight the facts fiercely. In addition, he asked the Constitutional Court to understand his position, saying he needed time to prepare to respond to the impeachment trial. However, the president of Yoon Suk Yeol also expressed his position that he did not intend to delay the judgment.

[Anchor]
The president of Yoon Suk Yeol applied for a postponement of the hearing preparation date in the morning, but the Constitutional Court did not accept it?

[Reporter]
That's right. The first hearing preparation date, the Constitutional Court's timid judgment was held. It was conducted by Jeong Hyeong-sik, the chief judge, and Lee Mi-sun, the judge. The Constitutional Court did not accept Yoon Suk Yeol's request to postpone the hearing preparation date. The number of deputies is too small and we need to prepare enough, but we asked them to consider this, and they said they were not trying to delay the lawsuit. However, the judge said that although he reviewed the application for postponement, it is only an efficient and intensive date for the preparatory hearing, and that the parts that he failed to claim today can be claimed and submitted in the future. At the same time, he said he did not accept the request for delay because the notice of the preparation date was legally served and both parties could attend and open the preparation date.

[Anchor]
On the other hand, the postponement of the appointment of acting President Han Deok-soo as a successor to the Constitutional Court seems to be in a situation where it will be difficult to form a complete constitutional court within this year. I heard the Constitutional Court is also discussing whether it can be sentenced under the six-member system.

[Reporter]
That's right. The Constitutional Court press officer said in a briefing this morning that as this situation continues to change, whether to sentence it is under discussion and no decision has yet been made. According to Article 23 (1) of the Constitutional Court Act, the Constitutional Court can hear the case only when at least seven judges are present. However, as Lee Jin-sook, chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, was cited during the impeachment trial, six people were present and the case could be heard. The Constitutional Court is in a position that hearing and pleading are possible based on the decision on the provisional injunction, but it is agonizing over whether to sentence it or not. This is because it did not specify whether the sentence was possible. In the case of an impeachment trial, at least six people must approve of impeachment to make a citation decision. Now Prime Minister Han Deok-soo has stepped down as acting president today. Attention is being paid to whether Acting President Choi Sang-mok will re-appoint a constitutional judge.

[Anchor]
The president of Yoon Suk Yeol has belatedly appointed a delegation of representatives to respond to the impeachment trial. I heard the deputies have been known for a while.

[Reporter]
That's right. In the meantime, he has not appointed a delegation of representatives, which has affected the impeachment trial and investigation. The outline of the delegation has finally been revealed. Although there have been a series of reports that it is difficult to appoint a lawyer, it seems that they have formed a delegation of trustees based on personal friendship. Yoon Gap-geun, Bae Jin-han, followed by Bae Bo-yoon, and Kim Hong-il, former chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, decided to represent the lawyers, including responding to criminal proceedings. And Seok Dong-hyun, former secretary-general of the Advisory Committee for Democratic Peace and Unification, seems to have decided to support the outside world. Lawyer Bae Jin-han, a former judge, and lawyer Seok Dong-hyun are known to be in the same class as President Yoon Suk Yeol and Seoul National University School of Law 79. Attorneys Kim Hong-il and Yoon Gap-geun are known as special experts in the prosecution and are known as seniors of the President of Yoon Suk Yeol. Lawyer Bae Bo-yoon was a former constitutional researcher and served as a public information officer for the Constitutional Court during the impeachment of former President Park Geun Hye. Yoon Gap-geun is in charge of public information that will serve as President Yoon's mouth in the impeachment trial and investigation response process.

[Anchor]
In fact, the delegation attended today, but the president of Yoon Suk Yeol has been planning a stage and holding out strategy. Where can I find the reason why this suddenly changed?

[Reporter]
The president of Yoon Suk Yeol has not taken a particular stance. In addition to not submitting documents, they refused to comply with the attendance of investigative agencies. It has been consistent with holding out, such as refusing to search and seizure by the presidential office. But today, for the first time, I formed a defense team and expressed my position. As the impeachment trial began in earnest and the investigation network of civil war charges narrowed, President Yoon Suk Yeol's side seems to have no choice but to come forward. And it seems to have affected Prime Minister Han Deok-soo's refusal to appoint a constitutional judge yesterday. In particular, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun held a press conference yesterday. There is also a view that President Yoon and former Minister Kim may have built a defensive logic through prior communication. President Yoon claimed yesterday that the declaration of emergency martial law is not subject to investigation because it is the president's own authority. It seems that we will continue to make this argument. It seems that the impeachment trial will continue as it is. The president of Yoon Suk Yeol also said that he could now directly plead in the impeachment trial. It is also expected to prepare for a public opinion contest through messages through SNS.

[Anchor]
President Yoon Suk Yeol's side has repeatedly insisted that the impeachment trial should be preceded, but after the first hearing preparation date today, the decision seemed to be the same.

[Reporter]
That's right. He continued to put forward the position that the impeachment trial comes first rather than the investigation. While preparing for the constitutional trial, the lawyer said, "I think the constitutional trial should precede it." In the case of investigation, there is a problem of overlapping summons, and it is emphasized that there is a lot of room for interpretation as to which agency the investigation rights are conducted. In general criminal cases, adjustments are made in advance when summoned, but there are many problems now, so we will comprehensively review them and devise countermeasures. There was also a question about the attendance of the Senior Civil Servant Corruption Investigations Unit on the 29th. The lawyer then mentioned that the decision would be made after a comprehensive review. In addition, there is a possibility that a high-ranking government official's criminal investigation office may request an arrest warrant if he does not appear, and there was a question about how to respond to this. The lawyers said, "I think I'm going too far ahead." He also emphasized that President Yoon Suk Yeol would come out in person and express his position at the appropriate time for the impeachment trial.

[Anchor]
As the first hearing preparation period began today, we will have to wait and see how the trial will go in the future, and we will look at the investigation situation next. The National Police Agency's National Police Agency said today that it conducted a search and seizure of the presidential safety house and the presidential office's security office, but it failed again.

[Reporter]
That's right. There is a safe house in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. We conducted a search and seizure on this. But I failed. At around 2 p.m. today, an investigator was sent to the presidential office of Anga and Yongsan in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, to present a search warrant for CCTV footage in Anga. However, after a three-hour confrontation without approval from the presidential office's security service, he returned empty-handed. The security service is said to have refused to search and seizure, citing military secrets for official purposes. Under the Criminal Procedure Act, the approval of the person in charge of seizure and search is required for places that fall under military or job secrets. After securing CCTV footage, the police appear to have tried to check who came in and out of the house immediately after martial law was declared and what instructions they received from President Yoon Suk Yeol. Earlier, it is known that Police Commissioner Jo Ji-ho and Seoul Commissioner Kim Bong-sik met with the president in Anga three hours before the declaration of martial law and received documents on martial law-related instructions. On the day of martial law's lifting, so it's the 4th. On the 4th, Justice Minister Park Sung-jae and Kim Joo-hyun, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, reportedly held another meeting. The police attempted to raid the Yongsan presidential office and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the 11th and the security office server in the presidential office building on the 17th, but they were also blocked by the security office.

[Anchor]
Let's stop here. I'm Baek Jong-gyu, a reporter from the Ministry of Social Affairs. Thank you.