The 2nd Joint Special Counsel team led by Kwon Chang-young, which is investigating remaining allegations following the three major special counsel probes, has summoned former Army Capital Defense Commander Lee Jin-woo over suspicions surrounding the "Guardian Task Force (TF)."

The special counsel team has been questioning former Commander Lee since 10:00 a.m. today (the 11th) as a suspect on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of rights.

This marks the first time former Commander Lee is being questioned by the special counsel team regarding these allegations.

Arriving at the special counsel office at around 9:40 a.m. today, former Commander Lee responded to reporters' questions asking whether he planned the Guardian TF for the purpose of preparing for martial law by stating, "That is completely untrue," and adding, "I will faithfully answer the questions today."

Former Commander Lee is accused of establishing the Guardian TF—a unit dedicated to counter-terrorism special missions—inside the Capital Defense Command in February 2024, and later ordering troops to be deployed to the National Assembly on the day of the December 3 emergency martial law.

The special counsel team suspects that the Guardian TF, created as a counter-terrorism unit, may have actually been an organization intended to prepare for emergency martial law.

It has been ascertained that on the night of the martial law at 9:48 p.m., former Commander Lee called Cho Sung-hyun, former commander of the 1st Security Brigade of the Capital Defense Command (Colonel), and instructed him, "Convene the Guardian TF, and the commander should come into headquarters."

The investigation deadline for the joint special counsel team is until the 23rd, and it is known that they plan to indict around 40 people within the remaining two weeks.

(Photo: Yonhap News)