People Power Party's Lim Jong-deuk, search and seizure at Yoon Sang-hyun's office

Introduction: Repeated Searches and Seizures, Are They Just Simple Incidents or Structural Warnings?

In July 2025, as investigations into former President Yoon Suk-yeol's alleged support for insurrection expanded in earnest, the special prosecutor's office conducted a search of the National Assembly offices of lawmakers Im Jong-deuk and Yoon Sang-hyun, both affiliated with the People Power Party. While it may appear on the surface to be a singular investigation related to a specific military death incident under one administration, beneath this lies a significant structural suspicion that undermines the legitimacy of state power and constitutional order. The inquiry raises questions about whether a political organization has systematically intervened in or abetted the procedures of public authority for the private benefit of a particular power, beyond the personal allegations against the two lawmakers. This search operation occurred in a context where allegations of investigation distortion emerged following the death of Marine Corps Sergeant Chae Soo-geun in July 2023, and as signs of external pressure symbolized by the ‘VIP rage theory’ surfaced in succession. The abrupt shift in the direction of the investigation shortly after former President Yoon received reports, the process through which key figures who participated in the National Security Council meetings later entered the political sphere via the People Power Party, and the continuity leading up to the search of these lawmakers' offices all indicate that judicial procedures are targeting the core of a specific political force.

Rep. Lim Jong-deuk: From the Second Office of the National Security Council to a Member of the National Assembly

Representative Im Jong-deuk served as the second deputy head of the National Security Office of the Blue House during the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. He was one of the direct aides to President Yoon during the death of Corporal Chae and attended a meeting chaired by the President on July 31, 2023. According to reports continuously covered by the media, President Yoon expressed strong dissatisfaction regarding the investigation into the Chae case during this meeting, and subsequently, the case was transferred from the Marine Corps to the Ministry of National Defense, effectively leading to interference in the investigation. Concerns have been raised that Representative Im may have played a role in conveying or coordinating decision-making between the presidential office and the military investigation line during that time. He later entered the National Assembly as a proportional representative of the People Power Party, and the special prosecutor has suggested that this pathway may indicate "political entry for the purpose of evading public responsibility or investigation." The potential possession of meeting minutes, internal reports, directives, and other related documents by Im has become a major target of the recent seizure and search due to this connection. He has consistently been mentioned as a top priority for investigation since the establishment of the special prosecutor's office, and the recent search of his National Assembly office is analyzed as encompassing not just a simple witness inquiry, but also the possibility of involvement in obstruction of justice or duties related to sedition.

Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun: Possibility of Intervention as the Secretary of the National Defense Committee

Yoon Sang-hyun is a member of the National Assembly affiliated with the People Power Party, and he has served as the secretary of the National Defense Committee. He is known for his close relationship with former President Yoon Seok-youl in the past and has been evaluated as playing a role as a conduit between military-related issues and the presidential office. The special investigation team is paying attention to the possibility that Yoon may have attempted to make political interventions in a specific direction as the secretary of the Defense Committee during the military investigation related to the case of Corporal Chae. In particular, points of investigation include whether Yoon contacted the presidential office directly or indirectly to influence the progress of the investigation, and whether he conveyed external messages to the Ministry of National Defense or the military investigation team. The recent search and seizure was conducted based on prior information suggesting that there were specific circumstances indicating Yoon's involvement in such actions, and it is reported that the targets for seizure include messenger records from his aides and office, schedules, and meeting-related documents. Yoon’s side has strongly opposed these actions, but the investigative authorities suspect that he is a major link that has undermined the autonomy and independence of the investigation by connecting the political sphere with the presidential office beyond merely serving as the secretary.

Repeated obstruction of the investigation, damage to 'legitimacy'

Im Jong-deuk stated that the search and seizure of Representative Yoon Sang-hyun is not an unexpected event but an extension of judicial procedures that have been ongoing for several months. However, the People Power Party labeled this as 'oppression of the opposition' and organized a response. On the day of the search and seizure, July 11, floor leader Song Eon-seok issued an emergency notice to the members and gathered about 20 of them at the National Assembly office, temporarily blocking the entrance of the special prosecutor’s investigation team. They also held a rally in front of the Seoul Central District Court, continuing to make statements condemning the court. The problem is that this kind of resistance has been perceived as actions that physically obstruct judicial procedures rather than merely expressing political opinions. Given that the court had already issued a warrant for the offices of the two lawmakers, who are subjects of the special prosecutor’s investigation, the legitimacy of the investigation was fundamentally secured. Nevertheless, the People Power Party strongly added political interpretations from the moment of the search and seizure, citing 'the political intent of the special prosecutor' and 'the framing to eliminate the opposition'. Such reactions demonstrate that instead of acknowledging judicial responsibility, the party is responding with organized defense, undermining its legitimacy and accountability. In a democratic system, political parties cannot be independent entities in the face of legal responsibilities, especially when there are allegations of interference with public authority, as they are expected to adopt a stance that accepts the verification and investigation of the public.

The Special Prosecutor's Approach: A Judgment That Divides the Vertical Authority Structure

The special investigation, which began with the Chae Sang-byeong incident, is now targeting the highest echelons of power in South Korea. Former President Yoon Seok-yeol is already under investigation on charges of 'instigating a rebellion,' and individuals surrounding him are being investigated in succession. In particular, the special investigation is proceeding with the application of the very serious charge of 'engaging in important duties with the purpose of rebellion,' which goes beyond simple abuse of power and pertains to attempts to subvert the constitutional order. Representatives Lim Jong-deuk and Yoon Sang-hyun have been identified as central connecting points in this investigation. The former was a high-ranking official who carried out discreet coordination within the power structure, while the latter appears to have played a role in providing political justification within the institutional apparatus of the National Assembly. The special investigation is concentrating on whether the roles of these two individuals were not isolated, but rather whether the internal powers and the external political system operated in an organically linked manner. In this way, the special investigation is approaching the issue from the periphery of the past president-centered vertical authority structure towards the interior, functioning not merely as an investigation of a single incident but as a constitutional verification of the overall political power structure.

Conclusion: Political responsibility should be addressed before criminal responsibility.

Im Jong-deuk's search and seizure of lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun goes beyond the investigation procedures aimed at resolving their personal allegations. It raises public questions about how past power decisions and the processes surrounding related事件 have been inherited within the current political structure, and how they have been restructured within the framework of parties. The organized defense put up by the People Power Party, framing judicial procedures politically and using the party as a shield, is clearly interpreted as an evasion of political responsibility. A political party is not merely an organization that represents ideologies and policies. It must operate on the basis of accountability and trust, and particularly in the face of serious legal allegations involving past power, it has the duty to lead the quest for truth. The consistent avoidance and obstruction, as well as the political responses shown by the People Power Party, reveal significant flaws from the perspective of upholding constitutional order. Political responsibility must be established before criminal guilt. The state and citizens first assess which side a party stands on. The People Power Party is not just a party under investigation it is also being tested for its legitimacy in front of the constitutional order and the rule of law of the Republic of Korea. The more it tries to evade this test, the more that responsibility will extend to the entire organization. What is needed now is not defense, but clarification and public participation in the comprehensive quest for truth.