Prosecution targets police in martial law probe

[Anchor]

However, the prosecution, which has handed over the case involving President Yoon, has launched a forced investigation against the National Police Agency's National Office of Investigation.

They conducted a search and seizure related to the so-called martial law arrest team allegations and secured the mobile phone of Chief Woo Jong-soo.

Reporter Kim Bo-dam has the details.

[Report]

The prosecution conducted a surprise search and seizure of the National Office of Investigation this afternoon (12.19).

This is related to allegations that they supported detectives from the serious crimes unit for the so-called 'arrest team' to detain key politicians at the request of the Defense Counterintelligence Command.

The search and seizure targets included Chief Woo Jong-soo of the National Office of Investigation, Investigation Planning Coordinator Yoon Seung-young, and Defense Ministry Investigation Chief Park Heon-soo.

The prosecution also seized the mobile phones of Chief Woo Jong-soo and Yeongdeungpo Police Station Chief Kang Sang-moon.

Earlier, during the investigation of the counterintelligence command, the prosecution discovered that the National Office of Investigation received a request from the command on Dec. 3 to provide a list of police officers to guide the scene in Yeouido after the declaration of martial law and has continued its investigation.

At that time, the National Office of Investigation provided a list of 10 detectives from the Yeongdeungpo Police Station's serious crimes unit, raising suspicions that they were mobilized as the 'arrest team.'

Immediately after the search and seizure, the prosecution is also conducting summons investigations of Investigation Planning Coordinator Yoon Seung-young and Investigation Planning Officer Jeon Chang-hoon, who are part of the National Office of Investigation's probe leadership.

Speculation is rising that the conflict between prosecutors and the police over control of the investigation has reignited, as the prosecution launched an investigation targeting the police leadership the day after transferring the case involving President Yoon Suk-yeol to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO).

The National Police Agency's Bureau of Investigation expressed strong discontent, stating, "We are deeply regretful that a reference's phone was seized during the investigation, despite having set up a joint task force for the state of emergency investigation."

Attention is focused on how the prosecution's sudden investigation into the National Police Agency will impact the ongoing state of emergency investigation, now divided among the prosecution, police, and CIO.

KBS News, Kim Bo-dam.