Former Minister Lee Sang-min left the presidential office after declaring an emergency martial law on December 3 and talked to former fire chief Huh Seok-gon for about a minute and a half.
Former Commissioner Huh reviewed the details of the call in court.
The former minister's order was urgent.
[Heo Seok-gon/Former National Fire Agency Commissioner: (Former Minister Lee Sang-min) mentioned a few media companies quickly. If I guess from my memory, I remember Hankyoreh, Kyunghyang, MBC, JTBC, and Kim Eo-jun's news factories. I think I asked again a few times because you said it quickly.]
At the end of the call, former minister Lee testified, "I told you to 'cooperate with the police to take action'.
The meaning of 'cooperation' was also added to the court's question.
[Ryu Kyung-jin/Chief Judge (Detective Division 32 of the Seoul Central District Court): What do you mean by cooperating and taking some action? It has many meanings.]
[Heo Seok-gon/Former fire chief: In order to take full control of the media, when we attacked a castle in the past, don't we cut off food and water to get the surrender of the people in the castle? That's what I imagined. So you can ask us for a power cut or a water cut.]
After hanging up the phone, he also conveyed the atmosphere around him that was chaotic.
[Heo Seok-gon/Former Chief of Fire Department: I asked (Lee Young-pal) if he wanted to confirm my opinion. Is it our duty to cut short a power plant?] I asked (Lee Young-pal), "Is it our duty to cut short a power plant?" and he said "No." All the executives around him intervened. No. I think someone told me to make a careful judgment. The atmosphere was chaotic that day…]
Former Minister Lee has insisted that he has never ordered a power cut or a water cut.
Although he attacked the credibility of Heo's memory and statements, Heo repeatedly said that he had heard the minister's question clearly.
Reporter Gong Dasom (gong.dasom@jtbc.co.kr )
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