CIO secures mobile phone of former Defense Minister’s close aide

CIO secures mobile phone of former Defense Minister’s close aide. January. 24, 2025 08:16. by ????? koo@donga.com.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which investigated the December 3 Martial Law Declaration incident, has reportedly obtained the mobile phone of a former Presidential Security Service employee, identified only by the surname Yang. Yang is alleged to be a close associate of former Minister of Defense Kim Yong-hyun and is accused of destroying a laptop used to draft the first martial law proclamation under Kim's orders.

According to a report by The Dong-A Ilbo on Thursday, the CIO recently questioned Yang and voluntarily secured his mobile phone. Yang is known to have been a key aide to Kim, serving as his secretary when Kim headed the Presidential Security Service. Even after Kim's appointment as Minister of Defense, Yang reportedly continued to accompany him unofficially, underscoring their close relationship. While the CIO has already referred President Yoon Suk Yeol to prosecutors on charges of being the mastermind (ringleader) behind the alleged insurrection, the agency plans to continue investigating Kim’s role in evidence destruction.

The CIO believes that analyzing Yang's mobile phone could shed light on the circumstances leading to Kim drafting the martial law proclamation, among other allegations. Yang is alleged to have personally destroyed the laptop used for drafting the proclamation with a hammer under Kim’s instructions after the martial law declaration on December 3 of last year. This act is seen as the destruction of a key piece of evidence that could clarify the drafting process. The CIO suspects Yang's phone contains crucial clues about how the evidence was destroyed.

Yang is also reported to have transported former Defense Intelligence Command chief Roh Sang-won when Roh met with Kim on the day martial law was declared. The CIO plans to question Yang further, believing he has detailed knowledge of the relationship between Kim and Roh. They are also analyzing call logs and location data from Yang's phone to trace movements and uncover further evidence.