Special Counsel Re-summons Former Security Regiment Commander Cho Seong-hyun Over 'Orders to Deploy to National Assembly'

The 2nd Comprehensive Special Counsel team, led by Kwon Chang-young, which is investigating remaining allegations following the 3rd special counsel, has re-summoned Cho Seong-hyun, former commander of the 1st Security Regiment of the Army Capital Defense Command (Colonel), who is suspected of involvement in the insurrection.
The special counsel team has been questioning Cho since 10:00 a.m. today (July 15) in his capacity as a suspect on charges of participating in a major insurrection mission.
This marks Cho's second appearance before the comprehensive special counsel team, following his previous summons on July 10.
Arriving at the special counsel office around 9:40 a.m. today, Cho addressed allegations that there was no order to "not cross the Seogang Bridge" during the emergency martial law, stating, "It is true that I gave the order with the intention of not crossing the Seogang Bridge," and added, "I will explain in detail once I go inside."
Cho is accused of relaying orders from former commander Lee Jin-woo to deploy to the National Assembly to the 2nd Special Mission Battalion and the 35th Special Mission Battalion during the martial law.
The special counsel team believes that, following Lee's order to "drag the lawmakers out," Cho told the troops waiting at Seogang Bridge on the day of the martial law, "Take your batons and move in. Your mission is to drag the people inside the National Assembly out."
It has been learned that the special counsel team has also secured a recording of a phone call on the day of the martial law in which Cho is heard saying, "Loyalty, I will continue the operation," after receiving a call from an individual presumed to be former commander Lee.
However, Cho has completely denied these allegations, claiming, "That is just a standard military greeting."
Cho is a figure who has testified multiple times regarding the case during the investigations and impeachment proceedings that intensified after the martial law.
Cho previously testified before the Constitutional Court and other bodies that while he received orders from former commander Lee during the martial law to enter the National Assembly and drag out lawmakers, he judged the purpose of the mission to be unclear, requested a review, and instructed subsequent units to "wait without crossing the Seogang Bridge."
In September of last year, the Ministry of National Defense awarded Cho the Samil Medal of the Order of National Security Merit, recognizing his contribution to preventing national chaos by not following illegal and unjust orders from the early stages of the martial law declaration.
The special counsel team led by Cho Eun-seok, which previously investigated the case, also concluded that Cho had responded passively to the former commander Lee's orders and ultimately refused them, leading to a final decision not to book him.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.