Ex-NIA official who exposed Yoon's alleged arrest order now probed for sedition

Hong Jang-won, a former first deputy director of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), is under investigation as a suspect in sedition charges. This comes after he previously revealed then-President Yoon Suk-yeol's alleged order to arrest politicians during a state of emergency declared on December 12, 2024.

Special prosecutors are focusing on Hong's actions immediately after receiving calls from then-President Yoon and former Defense Security Commander Yeo In-hyeong. They suspect Hong directed a meeting of his subordinates to establish communication channels with the Defense Security Command and the police, and to provide support. Prosecutors point to a memo found among Hong's staff mentioning the dispatch of NIA personnel to the police as evidence of his alleged involvement.

However, Hong's legal team strongly refutes these claims, arguing they stem from misunderstandings. They explain that the memo was merely an inquiry into filling vacant positions for personnel from affiliated agencies, including the police, who were stationed at the NIA. Furthermore, they assert that supporting the Defense Security Command or handling CIA communications was outside Hong's purview as head of foreign intelligence. The actual responsibilities for such matters lay with the second deputy director and the planning and coordination office.

Another point of contention is Hong's alleged involvement in relaying a message to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on December 4, justifying the state of emergency. Prosecutors believe Hong was informed of and approved the translation and delivery of a document explaining the emergency to the CIA. Hong's side counters that he was largely excluded from this process and that any communication was merely a notification from a subordinate about the director's instructions, which he lacked the authority to approve.

Hong gained prominence for his testimony in former President Yoon's impeachment trial and parliamentary hearings, where he claimed Yoon ordered the arrest of politicians and that he received a list of targets from the former Defense Security Commander.