Seoul: A special counsel team on Tuesday raided the homes and offices of Rep. Choo Kyung-ho of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) over his alleged involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s botched martial law bid in December when he served as the party’s floor leader.

According to Yonhap News Agency, special counsel Cho Eun-suk’s team carried out the search and seizure at Choo’s homes and offices in Seoul and Daegu, where his constituency is located, over allegations that he obstructed his party’s lawmakers from attending a parliamentary vote to lift the martial law decree. The team is investigating claims that Choo altered the venue for an emergency general meeting of the PPP’s lawmakers multiple times on the night of Yoon’s declaration on Dec. 3 at the former president’s request.

Due to these venue changes, many PPP lawmakers were unable to participate in the vote, leading to the National Assembly passing a motion to repeal Yoon’s decree early the next morning, with only 18 of the PPP’s 108 lawmakers present. Cho’s team has secured records indicating that Choo called Yoon shortly after his declaration. It is reported that Choo also contacted Hong Chul-ho, a senior presidential aide at the time, and then Prime Minister Han Duck-soo before his conversation with Yoon.

Assistant special counsel Park Ji-young stated in a briefing that questioning into what was discussed between Han and Choo has been conducted, and further questioning is required as confirmation of the facts is needed. The raids on Tuesday also targeted the offices of the PPP’s floor leader and Rep. Cho Ji-yeon, who was present with Choo at the floor leader’s office during the parliamentary vote to lift the decree.

Choo’s side has consistently claimed that he was unaware of Yoon’s plan to declare martial law in advance and that he did not discuss obstructing lawmakers from participating in the vote with the former president. Regarding the venue changes for the emergency meeting, his side has attributed it to misunderstandings with the party leader’s office at the time and entry restrictions to the National Assembly where martial law forces had been deployed.

Cho’s team is expected to summon Choo soon to question him further about the allegations.