Yoon Disputes Hong's Memo Credibility in Insurrection Case

Hong Jang-won, the former first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, stated that he was given an instruction by former Pres...

Hong Jang-won, the former first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, stated that he was given an instruction by former President Yoon Suk-yeol to "arrest everyone" during the December 3 emergency martial law. He testified as a witness on the 13th in the sedition trial of former President Yoon at the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 25, led by Judge Jee Kui-youn. This was the first time that former President Yoon and former Deputy Director Hong encountered each other in court since the arguments in the Constitutional Court's impeachment trial in February, about nine months ago.

Former Deputy Director Hong stated that during the Constitutional Court's impeachment trial and at the National Assembly, he received instructions from former President Yoon during the martial law period to "support the Defense Counterintelligence Command and arrest all individuals," and later learned from former Defense Counterintelligence Command Chief Yeo In-hyeong about a list of arrest targets, including Lee Jae-myung and Han Dong-hoon, which he recorded in a notebook. The so-called "Hong Jang-won memo" served as a crucial foundation for the National Assembly's approval of the impeachment motion against former President Yoon.

◇ Dispute regarding the reliability of the 'Hong Jang-won memo'... YOON: "The initial draft looks like worm-like handwriting"

On this day, the special counsel team investigating the insurrection and the defense team had a vigorous discussion about whether to accept the Hong Jang-won memo as evidence. Former President Yoon personally challenged its reliability, saying, "The handwriting in the initial draft looks like worms."

The document prepared by former Deputy Director Hong was developed in multiple phases. The initial version was a handwritten note he created during his conversation with former Commander Yeo on the day the martial law was announced. The second version, which was recorded by his assistant, has since been thrown away. The third version was reworked by the assistant around 4 p.m. on December 4, the day following the martial law, with former Deputy Director Hong adding additional comments.

The third version, revealed in court on that day, included the names of politicians and legal experts such as 'Lee Jae-myung,' 'Woo Won-shik,' and 'Han Dong-hoon,' as well as positions like 'Constitutional Court judge,' 'Judge,' and 'Chairperson of the National Election Commission.' Former Deputy Director Hong transmitted this memo through KakaoTalk to Democratic Party of Korea Leader Park Sun-won on December 6, and it is said he provided additional comments during later investigative proceedings.

The legal team of former President Yoon disputed the verification procedure (ensuring the document's authenticity with the relevant parties), claiming that the majority of the memo was drafted by the assistant. The defense lawyer remarked, "It seems the witness contributed only a minor part of the memo, while the rest was written by the aide," and continued, "Shouldn't we independently verify the authentication by calling the writer?"

The court stated, “If the draft was directed, examined, and completed after identifying missing parts, shouldn’t it be regarded as the author's own creation?” In reply, former President Yoon quickly interrupted, saying, “The handwriting in the initial draft is snake-like,” and continued, “Since the aide supposedly prepared this based on that draft, the original draft and the delivered memo bear no similarity.”

◇ HONG challenges the CCTV footage controversy: "Partially edited and presented with a biased perspective"

Former Deputy Director Hong restated his account about the conditions under which the memo was created that day. He mentioned that following the emergency martial law declaration last December, he entered the NIS director's official residence to check on the location of then-NIS Director Cho Tae-yong and to coordinate with the escort team when his secure phone received a call from former President Yoon. Hong recalled, "When the President asked if I had seen the emergency martial law broadcast, I said I had, and he responded, 'Arrest everyone and clean this up once and for all this time' and 'I will support the counterintelligence investigation authority.'" He further noted, "Concerning supporting the Defense Counterintelligence Command, I remember the President clearly stating not just general support but an unconditional provision of personnel and budget."

He then contacted former Commander Yeo and said, “I spoke with V (the President), who mentioned he would back you,” according to reports, with Yeo allegedly providing comprehensive updates. Hong said, “Yeo In-hyeong stated, ‘We are working with the police to block the National Assembly, and the Defense Counterintelligence Command's arrest teams are functioning with detention lists, asking for assistance,’ and talked about tracking locations.” He added, “Yeo outlined step by step that after arrests, those detained would be held and questioned at Defense Counterintelligence Command facilities, and that the first and second arrest operations would take place.”

In response to disputes about his testimony not matching the NIS CCTV footage, former Deputy Director Hong said, "The CCTV seems to have been altered." During the Constitutional Court hearings in February, he initially claimed the memo was written at 11:06 p.m. on December 3rd last year in an open area near the NIS director's residence entrance. However, after NIS CCTV footage emerged showing him entering the NIS headquarters at 10:58 p.m., he changed his statement, explaining, "I was in the open area at 10:58 p.m., but I recorded the list inside the office."

Hong stated, "In my opinion, the CCTV footage was edited selectively and released in a biased manner," and added, "The CCTV footage made public by former NIS Director Cho Tae-yong via the People Power Party has caused confusion in my memory."