NIS Deputy Director claims president ordered arrest of lawmakers

[Anchor]

Claims supporting Representative Han Dong-hoon's assertion that the President ordered the arrest of politicians have emerged from the leadership of the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

Hong Jang-won, the first deputy director of the NIS, stated that President Yoon ordered the arrest of party leaders and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

However, his direct superior, NIS Director Cho Tae-yong, refuted this, saying he had never heard of any orders to arrest politicians.

Shin Ji-hye reports.

[Report]

Hong Jang-won, the first deputy director of the NIS, claimed that he spoke with President Yoon Suk Yeol at 10:53 PM, right after the announcement of martial law.

According to Deputy Director Hong, President Yoon said, "Take this opportunity to arrest them all, clean everything up."

He continued by instructing to assist the Defense Counterintelligence Command, stating that he would restore the NIS's counterintelligence investigation authority, which was abolished earlier this year due to political intervention controversies.

Afterward, Defense Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In-hyeong called Deputy Director Hong to request "support for arrests," providing a list of "targets for arrest" and asking for their locations to be identified.

The list included the Speaker of the National Assembly, Representatives Han Dong-hoon and Lee Jae-myung, opposition lawmakers, former Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo, and broadcaster Kim Eo-jun.

[Kim Byung-kee/Democratic Party Member: "He said, 'We plan to carry out the first and second arrests sequentially and will detain them in the detention facilities of the counterintelligence command for investigation.'"]

Deputy Director Hong stated that he thought it was crazy and did not take further notes, considering it an unreasonable order, and thus did not carry it out.

Hong also stated that NIS Director Cho Tae-yong took a resignation letter from him yesterday (12.5) after receiving a "directive from the President to immediately dismiss him" , but it was rejected the following day.

However, Director Cho, who was also present at the National Assembly, directly refuted Deputy Director Hong's statement, saying there was no order to arrest politicians.

[Cho Tae-yong/NIS Director: "I have not received any directive from the President to arrest politicians, and when I confirmed this morning, the first deputy director also told me he had not received such an order."]

He also clarified that he had suggested the replacement of Deputy Director Hong due to issues of political neutrality, but there was no directive for dismissal.

While the NIS leadership presented conflicting claims at the National Assembly, the presidential office initially stated, "President Yoon has never given orders to arrest or detain members of the National Assembly," but retracted this position two minutes later.

KBS News Shin Ji-hye.