무너진 충성의 연대기: ‘계엄 정당화’를 둘러싼 권력 내부의 추악한 폭로전 > K-wave Trends

The comprehensive special investigation team is digging into the entire process by which former President Yoon Suk-yeol's instructions were passed down to working-level staff at the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through former Director Shin and former Deputy Director Kim. The special prosecutor captured circumstances where the Security Office delivered 'external explanatory materials' written in Korean to the NIS immediately after the martial law declaration, which were then translated into English and delivered to allied intelligence agencies such as the US CIA. The documents reportedly included claims that martial law was a constitutional measure to protect liberal democracy, along with political propaganda that former President Yoon was countering pro-North Korean leftists and anti-Americanism. The special investigation team is defining this series of actions not as simple diplomatic explanations, but as 'engaging in important duties of insurrection' to maintain and justify a state of insurrection, and is continuing an intensive investigation.

A key variable in the investigation is the shocking testimony of former Deputy Director Kim Tae-hyo, who was classified as a close aide. During the special investigation, Kim vehemently denied his charges and was confirmed to have poured out raw criticism of former President Yoon's martial law declaration at the time, saying he "thought he was crazy." This is interpreted as an open rebellion against the former President who appointed him as a key power player in foreign affairs and security, and a sophisticated defense strategy to disperse the responsibility for participating in the insurrection to both superiors and lower-level staff. To verify the credibility of Kim's testimony, the special investigation team is even forcing confrontations with Security Office officials he pointed to as having given instructions, putting all efforts into uncovering the truth.

Not only the leadership of the security line, but also the circumstances of the National Intelligence Service's systematic involvement are forming a huge axis of the investigation. The process by which political appointees of the NIS, including former NIS Director Cho Tae-yong and former First Deputy Director Hong Jang-won, moved in unison upon the request of the Security Office is being revealed one after another. Although former Deputy Director Hong denied implementing instructions in the special investigation by stating he left work after the martial law was lifted, the special prosecutor has already booked 9 related individuals and is not abandoning the suspicion that the NIS was used as a conduit for insurrection. The circumstances of the creation and delivery of documents exchanged between the NIS and the Security Office are highly likely to become a decisive 'smoking gun' to prove the charge of insurrection in future trials.

Former President Yoon Suk-yeol is also attempting a head-on breakthrough in the special investigation by claiming the legitimacy of the martial law declaration. While former President Yoon acknowledged that he gave instructions to "inform foreign countries of the emergency martial law situation," he maintains the logic that this was merely a legitimate performance of duties as President, not insurrection or abuse of power. However, as the request for arrest warrants for key figures such as former Director Shin and former Deputy Director Kim becomes visible, the fate of the Presidential Office's security line is in a precarious situation. The sight of security leaders isolating and blaming each other to avoid legal responsibility is becoming a symbolic scene that vividly shows the end of an organization collapsing from the pinnacle of power.