The 2nd General Special Counsel team, led by Kwon Chang-young, which is investigating remaining suspicions following the three special counsels, has indicted former Fire Agency Chief Heo Seok-gon and former Fire Agency Deputy Chief Lee Young-pal in connection with the media outlet power and water cutoff suspicions.

The special counsel team announced today (August 11) that it has indicted former Chief Heo and former Deputy Chief Lee without detention on charges of engaging in important missions of insurrection.

Former Chief Heo is accused of receiving instructions from former Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min immediately after the declaration of the Dec. 3 emergency martial law—stating to the effect that "police will enter MBC, JTBC, the Hankyoreh, the Kyunghyang Shinmun, and Kim Ou-joon's News Factory around midnight, so cooperate and cut off their electricity and water"—and passing this on to former Deputy Chief Lee.

Former Deputy Chief Lee was found to have subsequently called the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters and stated to the effect that "if a cooperation request comes from the police regarding the martial law decree, please cooperate."

Previously, the Cho Eun-seok Special Counsel Team for Insurrection, which investigated the case, concluded that former Minister Lee Sang-min received orders from former President Yoon Suk Yeol to cut off power and water to media outlets and passed them on to former Fire Agency Chief Heo Seok-gon, indicting him on charges including engaging in important missions of insurrection.

These charges were recognized as guilty in both the first and second trials, and the case is currently awaiting a ruling by the full bench of the Supreme Court.

The Insurrection Special Counsel Team had previously booked and investigated former Chief Heo and former Deputy Chief Lee, who were on the transmission path of the orders, as suspects on charges such as abuse of authority, but ultimately concluded the case with suspended indictments.

However, the subsequently launched General Special Counsel Team rebooked former Chief Heo and former Deputy Chief Lee on charges of engaging in important missions of insurrection and continued the investigation.

The special counsel team's perspective is that since former Minister Lee's charges of engaging in important missions of insurrection regarding the power and water cutoff orders were repeatedly recognized as guilty by the courts, they can also be viewed as accomplices to insurrection.

(Photo: Yonhap News)