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Special counsel raids home of ex-PPP floor leader in martial law probe

Published: 02 Sep. 2025, 11:34

Rep. Choo Kyung-ho of the People Power Party attends a meeting of the National Policy Committee at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Aug. 21. [YONHAP]

A special counsel team on Tuesday raided the home 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.

Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team carried out a search and seizure at Choo's home in Seoul over allegations that the then-PPP floor leader obstructed his party's lawmakers from attending a parliamentary vote to lift the martial law decree.

The team is looking into allegations that Choo changed 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 the changes, many PPP lawmakers were unable to participate in the vote, and the National Assembly ended up 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 of Choo calling Yoon by phone shortly after his declaration. Choo reportedly called Hong Chul-ho, a senior presidential aide at the time, and then Prime Minister Han Duck-soo before his call with Yoon.

Choo's side has maintained that he was unaware of Yoon's plan to declare martial law in advance and that he did not discuss obstructing lawmakers from taking part in the vote with the former president.

Cho's team is expected to call in Choo soon to question him about the allegations.

Yonhap