Interior ministry role in martial law

[Anchor]

There are also suspicions regarding the role of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety during the emergency martial law.

There have been testimonies that former Minister Lee Sang-min instructed to cooperate with power and water cut measures of media outlets.

The former minister has not responded to the allegations.

Reporter Kim Seong-soo reports.

[Report]

The proclamation during the martial law included a provision that all media outlets were to be under the control of the martial law command.

There are allegations that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety directed power and water cut measures for media outlets, which were not included in the proclamation.

Fire Chief Heo Seok-gon testified that former Minister Lee Sang-min called on the day of the martial law to convey this intention.

[Heo Seok-gon/Fire Chief/Jan. 13/Public Administration and Security Committee: "If there is a request for cooperation from the police, please cooperate."]

[Youn Kun-young/Democratic Party Member: "Was there any instruction for the Fire Department to cooperate in cutting power and water to media outlets?"]

[Heo Seok-gon/Fire Chief/Jan. 13/Public Administration and Security Committee: "It had a somewhat similar nuance."]

This is the first testimony from a national agency head suggesting an attempt to paralyze media outlets during the martial law.

Ultimately, it did not lead to actual measures, but the police special investigation team has begun an investigation.

[Heo Seok-gon/Fire Chief/Jan. 13/Public Administration and Security Committee : "Cutting power and water is not the duty of the fire department, right? I could not give a clear answer."]

There are also suspicions that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety was preparing for an additional martial law.

The ministry deployed four mobile base station vehicles, used during communication failures, near the National Assembly, the Presidential Office, and the Government Complex Seoul during the martial law.

However, even after the resolution demanding the lifting of martial law was passed, these vehicles were not withdrawn until late at night.

[Ko Ki-dong/Acting Minister of the Interior and Safety/Jan. 15/Parliamentary Insurrection Special Committee Report: "In response to the police's request, the mobile disaster communication vehicles were dispatched but remained inactive and were withdrawn afterward."]

Regarding the allegations of attempting to cut power and water to media outlets, the Ministry stated that it could not confirm the former minister's intentions and explained that the waiting of the mobile base stations was to prepare for a situation where communication would fail due to a crowd surge.

Former Minister Lee, who is a junior of President Yoon Suk Yeol from Chungam High School, did not respond to inquiries from KBS reporters regarding various allegations.

This is Kim Seong-soo from KBS News.