Seoul: A six-term lawmaker of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) was questioned by a special counsel team Monday about the details of the night jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol imposed martial law in December. Rep. Cho Kyoung-tae appeared at special counsel Cho Eun-suk’s office to be questioned as a witness in the martial law probe, particularly over suspicions Yoon and then PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho tried to stop lawmakers of the then ruling party from attending a parliamentary vote to lift the martial law decree.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Cho Kyoung-tae expressed concerns about lingering sympathetic forces within the party, characterizing the martial law bid as an insurrection. “The insurrection is still not over, and there exist forces sympathizing with the insurrection within the party,” Cho told reporters outside the office. Cho was one of only 18 PPP lawmakers who took part in the Dec. 4 vote to lift the decree. The special counsel team suspects that the remaining 90 of the 108 PPP lawmakers were not in attendance due to Choo’s repeated changes of venue for an emergency general meeting of lawmakers.
Cho is currently running to be the next leader of the PPP, which will elect one of four candidates during a national convention on Aug. 22.