The Second Special Counsel team led by Kwon Chang-young, which is investigating remaining allegations following the three major special counsel probes, has summoned Hong Jang-won, former First Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), for the fourth time.

The special counsel team has been questioning Hong as a suspect on charges of participating in important duties related to insurrection since 10:00 a.m. today (June 26).

Arriving at the special counsel's office in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, at approximately 9:22 a.m., Hong stated, "The NIS was not involved in the martial law and insurrection at the time in any way," adding, "No matter how much I think about various aspects, I do not believe I have done anything significantly wrong."

Hong is accused of attending a meeting of political appointees and department heads at the NIS following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of emergency martial law, where he allegedly instructed the establishment of a communication channel with the Defense Security Command and discussed providing support for the Martial Law Command's Joint Investigation Headquarters.

He is also suspected of attempting to contact U.S. intelligence agencies to deliver messages intended to justify the martial law.

Hong has categorically denied all allegations.

He maintains that the meeting of department heads, convened after the political appointees' meeting on the day of the martial law declaration, lasted only 10 minutes and merely involved organizing departmental tasks, measures, and manuals for the following day under the martial law situation.

He also claims that he never received instructions to deliver messages to the CIA, and argues that even if a message had been delivered, it would be unjust to apply charges of insurrection to a message sent after the martial law had already ended.

The special counsel team is expected to decide whether to indict Hong based on the findings from today's investigation.

(Photo: Yonhap News)