"Shame That Such a Person Exists in the Hong Family"... Hong Jun-pyo Targets Hong Jang-won
Published 05 Feb.2025 19:34(KST)
Updated 06 Feb.2025 06:24(KST)
Targeting Hong Jangwon Who Testified About the "Arrest Order"
"Absolutely Unbelievable"
"Appointment as First Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service Is Absurd"
Hong Jang-won, former First Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service, testified that he was directly ordered by President Yoon Seok-yeol to arrest politicians during the December 3 emergency martial law. In response, Hong Joon-pyo, Mayor of Daegu Metropolitan City, criticized this, saying, "It is embarrassing that there is such a person in the Hong family."
On the 5th, Mayor Hong opened his statement on his social media (SNS) by saying, "Martial law is executed by mobilizing the military and police." He pointed out, "The role of the First Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service in emergency martial law does not exist," and questioned, "Is it really true that the former deputy director Hong testified that the president gave a phone order to the First Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service, who has no authority for investigation or arrest, to 'arrest them all'?"
He continued, "I absolutely cannot believe it. Would the president not have known about such things?" He criticized, "It is truly absurd that such a person was appointed as the First Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service, including the appointment of the Minister of National Defense." Then he sharply stated, "It is embarrassing that there is such a person in the Hong family."
Hong Jang-won, former 1st Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service, is speaking as a witness at the 5th hearing of President Yoon Seok-yeol's impeachment trial held at the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 4th. Photo by Yonhap News
원본보기 아이콘Earlier, on the 4th, former Deputy Director Hong appeared as a witness at the 5th hearing of President Yoon Seok-yeol's impeachment trial and responded to the National Assembly's question, "Did President Yoon say, 'Arrest them all, I will give the National Intelligence Service anti-communist investigation authority, so assist the Military Counterintelligence Command'?" by saying, "I remember it that way." However, he explained, "I was not informed who exactly was to be arrested," and "I called former Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In-hyung to find out."
Former Deputy Director Hong also said that he took notes of the arrest list read out by former Commander Yeo, adding, "As I was writing, I wondered 'What is this?' and stopped after writing about half of the remaining content. Recalling from memory, it seemed to be about 14 to 16 people." He further said, "Even now, I think if President Yoon had sincerely apologized to the public and conveyed his feelings at the time, it would have been much more persuasive to the people."
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