The special committee for the national investigation has been launched with plans for agency reports, hearings, and field investigations. A total of 18 institutions, including the presidential office, the National Intelligence Service, and the Ministry of National Defense, will be investigated. Disagreements are expected regarding the selection of witnesses, potentially complicating the investigation.
The “Special Committee for the National Investigation on the Allegations of Martial Law Proclamation by the Yoon Suk-yeol Government” is set to begin its activities. During its first meeting, the committee appointed Representative Ahn Gyu-baek as chairman, Han Byung-do as the opposition secretary, and Kim Sung-won as the ruling party secretary. The national investigation plan was approved by a vote of 192 members in a full assembly, marking the commencement of the investigation 28 days after the martial law incident.
The committee will run for 45 days until the 13th of the following month, investigating whether there was prior simulation before the martial law proclamation, the role of the state council meetings, follow-up measures by government ministers, manage the arrest teams of key politicians, and statements from the Prime Minister and ruling party leader after the martial law was lifted. The investigation will include agency reports, hearings, and on-site investigations conducted two to three times each.
The investigation targets include the Presidential Office, the Presidential Security Service, the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the NIS, the National Police Agency, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, the Ministry of National Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Army and Air Force, the former Martial Law Command, and the National Election Commission among others.
Despite the launch, obstacles are expected as the ruling and opposition parties have differing views. During the previous full assembly, ruling party members abstained or voted against the investigation plan they had painstakingly agreed upon with the opposition. This indicates potential difficulties ahead.
Debates also arose about the investigation’s title, ultimately settling on “National Investigation on Allegations of Insurrection” after disagreements on whether to label it as “insurrection” or “insurrection allegations.”
The selection of the witness list and consideration of extending the investigation period are also points of contention. The opposition party aims to extend the investigation period, while the ruling party is likely to oppose this. The extension of the special committee’s duration requires a resolution from the full assembly, which the opposition can decide independently.