Will ex-PM Han be another Cabinet member to be detained?
Han, who was summoned as a suspect, arrived at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office at approximately 9:25 a.m. and entered the building without answering questions. Reporters asked whether he maintained his position that he neither participated nor supported Yoon's alleged insurrection.
The former prime minister briefly said, 'Thank you for your hard work.'
While the special counsel reportedly questioned Han on his alleged role in former President Yoon's martial law declaration on Dec. 3, Tuesday's summons is seen as an effort to build the case ahead of a possible detention of the former prime minister. Han is suspected of both failing to prevent and potentially facilitating the unconstitutional imposition of martial law.
According to the Constitution and Government Organization Act, the prime minister supervises ministries on behalf of the president and oversees the ministers' actions. Any proposal made by the defense minister and interior minister to declare martial law must go through the prime minister before it reaches the president.
Since Han was in a position involving him in the decision-making process before and after the martial law declaration as the vice chair of the Cabinet meeting, the special counsel team views him as one of the key figures in the alleged insurrection.
Han was previously named as an accomplice who attempted to prepare false public documents.
According to the special counsel team, former President Yoon fabricated an official martial law document on Dec. 5, two days after declaring martial law.
Although the National Assembly lifted martial law within hours, Han and then-Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun reportedly backdated the document to make Yoon's declaration appear legally proper.
Kang Eui-gu, who at the time was a secretary at the presidential office and drafted the document, reportedly testified in the special counsel investigation that the document was discarded at Han's request and upon Yoon's approval.
The decision violated Article 82 of the Constitution, which stipulates that acts of the president under law be executed in writing and that such documents should be signed by the prime minister and Cabinet members concerned.
The special counsel team has raised the additional suspicion that Han called former then-ruling People Power Party floor leader Rep. Choo Kyung-ho to interfere with the National Assembly's effort to lift the martial law declaration.
Han is also accused of perjury for allegedly claiming during his testimony to the Constitutional Court and the National Assembly that he was unaware of the martial law declaration in printed form until after the decree was lifted.
The special counsel team had previously summoned Han in early July and carried out search and seizure operations at his and Kang's residences on July 24.
If the team applies for a warrant to detain the former prime minister and the court grants it, Han will be the third Cabinet member of the Yoon administration to be detained regarding martial law-related matters after former Defense Minister Kim and former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min.
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