Ex-NIS official accused of ordering 'SNS sentiment collection' during martial law

A special prosecutor's team has indicted Hong Jang-won, former first deputy director of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS), on charges including participating in insurrection, alleging he ordered the collection of public opinion via social media immediately after martial law was declared.

According to the indictment obtained by Hankyoreh, the special prosecution team believes Hong convened a meeting of department heads under his purview on the night of December 3, 2024, shortly after martial law was proclaimed. During this meeting, he allegedly instructed departments responsible for intelligence and open-source information to gather public sentiment regarding the martial law declaration. The prosecution asserts that Hong specifically directed the collection of information on distorted or exaggerated claims circulating on social media, as well as "unusual public opinion" from domestic media reports, comments, and social media.

The indictment further states that Hong pressed for the execution of these orders despite some staff members' objections. Subsequently, on December 4, 2024, a report titled "Trends in the Spread of Fake News and False Propaganda Related to Martial Law" was compiled and submitted to Hong. The special prosecution team also cited Hong's alleged actions, such as establishing communication channels with the Defense Security Command and the National Police Agency, dispatching personnel to the police agency's situation room, collecting reactions from foreign countries regarding martial law, and explaining the background of the martial law to U.S. intelligence agencies in coordination with former NIS Director Cho Tae-yong, as grounds for the charges.

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The collection of domestic and foreign trends and the maintenance of external cooperation are intelligence and security tasks that the NIS performs even in peacetime.

However, Hong's legal team maintains that the collection of domestic and international trends and the maintenance of external cooperation are routine NIS activities conducted even during peacetime. They argue that his actions were merely a review of manuals in the context of the martial law situation. Crucially, Hong's side points to his refusal to comply with then-President Yoon Suk-yeol's order to arrest politicians immediately after the martial law declaration and his subsequent dismissal on December 5, 2024, as evidence that he did not participate in any insurrection.

Hong had previously appeared before the National Assembly after the martial law declaration, providing detailed accounts of President Yoon's alleged orders, including the directive to arrest politicians. This stark contrast in interpretations is expected to lead to a fierce legal battle in the upcoming trial.

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The prosecution's claim that he participated in insurrection is unfounded, given that he refused the order to arrest politicians and was subsequently dismissed.