"Second Martial Law Conspiracy" Questioning Met with Sharp Attitude… "I Don't Care" Statement

Lee Wan-kyu, the Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, who has been nominated as the candidate for Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, has strongly protested during a police investigation related to the 'Secret Meeting in Samcheong-dong' that took place at the end of last year. The police raised suspicions of a second martial law conspiracy regarding this meeting, but the minister reportedly denied the allegations, stating "there is no substance to it."

According to a report by JTBC on the 9th, the minister avoided giving specific statements about the meeting that took place on December 4 at a safe house in Samcheong-dong and instead responded to the police in an accusatory manner.

He described former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, Minister of Justice Park Seong-jae, and then Chief Civil Affairs Officer Kim Joo-hyun, who were present, as "people I know well," but dismissed the actual nature of the secret meeting by stating, "there is no substance to it."

Silent Response to the Criticism of "Using the Safe House without the President"

The police raised concerns that since the Samcheong-dong safe house is originally a facility exclusively for the president, the gathering of Cabinet ministers in the president's absence was problematic. In response, the minister said, "The Minister Park and former Minister Lee are well-known people, so it seems they gathered there."

When the police repeatedly pressed, "Could this meeting have been a conspiracy to plot a second martial law?" the minister reportedly displayed a sharp attitude, saying, "No. Didn't I say no?" He also denied that former President Yoon Seok-yeol or Kim Geon-hee attended the meeting.

Especially when the police asked again, "Did the Cabinet members use the security agency's facility without the president?" the minister responded, "I won't testify. I don't know, and I don't care," as reported.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials also began an investigation… Lee Wan-kyu claims "Not a matter for indictment"

Not only the police, but the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) has also classified the minister as a suspect under allegations of aiding rebellion. On this day, during a plenary session of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, CIO Chief Oh Dong-woon stated, "Lee Wan-kyu is currently a suspect under investigation."

The minister argued concerning the allegations of aiding rebellion surrounding him, "I believe this is not a matter deserving of indictment."

However, as the prosecutors, police, and other investigative agencies intensify their inquiry into the charges of rebellion, the controversy surrounding the confirmation hearing for the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court is expected to escalate even further.

Image Source: Lee Wan-kyu, Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination / News1, News1