170 Days of Questions: How the Second Comprehensive Special Prosecutor Will Investigate 17 Allegations, Starting with the 'Noh Sang-won Notebook'

The Question Posed by the Launch of the Second Comprehensive Special Prosecutor: Why Hasn't the 443-Day Insurrection Investigation Ended?

TL;DR

• Second Comprehensive Special Prosecutor Act passed by the National Assembly on January 16, 2026, officially launching with Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young's inaugural ceremony on February 25
• A 'mammoth-scale special prosecutor' with up to 170 days (including 20 days of preparation) and up to 251 personnel
• Investigating 17 allegations left by the three special prosecutors (Insurrection, Kim Keon-hee, Corporal Chae): Noh Sang-won notebook, Myung Tae-gyun election nomination interference, Yangpyeong Highway, etc.
• Today (2/23), Seoul High Court's Insurrection Dedicated Trial Division begins operation, launching Yoon Seok-yeol's second trial in earnest
• Political ramifications inevitable as it overlaps with the June 3 local elections (June 2027)

Why a 'Second' Special Prosecutor Now

443 days since the declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024.[1] Despite consecutive investigations by three special prosecutors—the Insurrection Special Prosecutor (Jo Eun-seok, 180 days), Kim Keon-hee Special Prosecutor (Lee Pil-ho, 60 days), and Corporal Chae Special Prosecutor (Jeong Dong-cheol, 70 days)—many allegations remain unresolved.

On January 16, 2026, the Democratic Party of Korea passed the 'Special Prosecutor Act for the Truth-Finding of Insurrection, Foreign Exchange, and State Affairs Manipulation by Yoon Seok-yeol and Kim Keon-hee (Second Comprehensive Special Prosecutor Act)' in the National Assembly plenary session.[2] Out of 174 present, 172 voted in favor and 2 against. People Power Party lawmakers did not participate in the vote.

Although the People Power Party and Reform New Party resisted with Floor Leader Cheon Ha-ram's 19-hour overnight filibuster, the bill passed the State Council meeting on January 20,[3] and Attorney Kwon Chang-young (Law Firm Jipyong) was appointed as special prosecutor on February 6.[4]

Why 'Second'? Because it takes over allegations that the three special prosecutors failed to conclude or that emerged during their investigations. The Insurrection Special Prosecutor left a memo stating "Additional investigation needed, including the Noh Sang-won notebook," and the Kim Keon-hee Special Prosecutor submitted "Yangpyeong Highway route change allegations" as an incomplete task.

The Spectrum of 17 Allegations: From the 'Noh Sang-won Notebook' to 'Local Government Cooperation'

The Second Comprehensive Special Prosecutor will address a total of 17 allegations.[5] They are broadly divided into three categories.

1. Insurrection and Foreign Exchange Planning Allegations

• Noh Sang-won Notebook: Circumstances of martial law preparation recorded in the notebook of Noh Sang-won, former Presidential Office administrator, identified as a closest confidant of former President Yoon Seok-yeol
• December 3 Martial Law Cooperation: Allegations that state agencies, local governments, and the military cooperated with martial law. Local government heads from the People Power Party may also be investigated
• Pre-planning of Insurrection and Foreign Exchange: Whether the Yoon Seok-yeol government prepared for insurrection before the martial law declaration

2. Kim Keon-hee Related Allegations

• Seoul-Yangpyeong Highway Route Change: Circumstances of route change near land owned by Kim Keon-hee's family
• Use of Secure Phone (Private Communication Network): Allegations of using private communication means for official duties
• Myung Tae-gyun Nomination Interference: Allegations of nomination interference through Myung Tae-gyun during the 2022 presidential election

3. Election Law and Political Funds Act Violations

• Public Official Election Act and Political Funds Act Violations During the 2022 Presidential Election: If former President Yoon Seok-yeol is confirmed to have been fined more than 1 million won for related charges, his election will be invalidated, and the People Power Party will be obligated to return approximately 40 billion won in election subsidies[6]

The special prosecutor investigation period is up to 170 days, including 20 days of preparation. The investigation is expected to continue until early-to-mid July, after the June 3 local elections.

A 'Mammoth Special Prosecutor' of 251 People: Who Moves, and How

The investigative personnel of the Second Comprehensive Special Prosecutor is among the largest ever.

This approaches the scale of the Insurrection Special Prosecutor (267 people).[7]

Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young is a former judge (served at Seoul Central District Court and Suwon District Court) and an expert in labor and serious disasters. He was selected for his "fairness and legal expertise" while working at Law Firm Jipyong.[4]

The special prosecutor candidate selection was designed so that the Democratic Party of Korea and the Rebuilding Korea Party each recommend one candidate. This is a structure that clearly makes it an opposition-led special prosecutor.

Timeline:

• February 6: Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young appointed
• February 23: Seoul High Court Insurrection Dedicated Trial Division begins operation[8]
• February 25: Second Comprehensive Special Prosecutor inaugural ceremony[9]
• February 26~: Full-scale investigation begins

First Gateway: The 'Noh Sang-won Notebook' and the Paradox of the First Trial Ruling

The first obstacle the Second Special Prosecutor will face is the Noh Sang-won Notebook.

On February 19, the Ji Gwi-yeon trial panel (Seoul Central District Court) sentenced former President Yoon Seok-yeol to life imprisonment for leading an insurrection in the first trial, but excluded the "Noh Sang-won Notebook" from evidence, saying "its admissibility cannot be recognized."[10] The reason was that due process was not observed during the investigation.

This has two implications for the Second Special Prosecutor:

1. Need for Reinvestigation: Must legally secure the Noh Sang-won notebook again or prove pre-planning of insurrection with other evidence
2. Dismissal Variable: Legal controversy over whether the special prosecutor can reinvestigate cases already judged in the first trial

Collision with Political Schedule: The June 3 Local Election Variable

If the Second Special Prosecutor investigation continues until July, investigation results could be disclosed right before the June 3, 2027 local elections.

Opposition Concerns:

• People Power Party Leader Jang Dong-hyuk is on his second day of hunger strike, demanding "Do the special prosecutors for public nomination funds and Unification Church first"[11]
• Criticism that the "December 3 martial law cooperation allegations" is an 'election-purpose special prosecutor' targeting People Power Party local government heads

Ruling Party Rebuttal:

• Democratic Party Floor Leader Han Byeong-do: "We must finish the complete cleanup of insurrection this time"[12]
• Position that leaving the allegations unresolved by the three special prosecutors would "violate the people's right to know"

Outlook: A 'Race Against Time' with the Second Trial Panel

Today (February 23), the Seoul High Court Insurrection Dedicated Trial Division (Criminal Division 1 and Criminal Division 12) began operation.[13] Former President Yoon Seok-yeol's second trial for obstruction of arrest (sentenced to 5 years in prison) and former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's second trial for important duties in insurrection (sentenced to 23 years in prison) will proceed here.

A structure of Second Special Prosecutor vs. Insurrection Second Trial is forming:

• If the Second Special Prosecutor secures new evidence → Can submit it additionally to the second trial panel
• If the second trial panel renders a judgment first → Risk of the special prosecutor investigation being dismissed

Checklist:

1. Speed: How intensively can 17 allegations be investigated within 170 days
2. Evidence Legality: How to reuse the 'Noh Sang-won notebook' that was excluded in the first trial
3. Political Neutrality: Can the investigation proceed regardless of the June 3 local elections
4. Coordination with Second Trial: How will the evidence sharing system between the Insurrection Dedicated Trial Division and the special prosecutor be established

References

• Yonhap News: Comprehensive Special Prosecutor Act Passes National Assembly Led by Opposition…Investigating 17 Allegations for Up to 170 Days
• Law Times: Second Comprehensive Special Prosecutor Act Passes State Council…Up to 170 Days Investigation
• Kyunghyang Shinmun: Second Comprehensive Special Prosecutor Act Passes National Assembly…17 Allegations, Up to 170 Days Investigation
• BBC Korea: Yoon Seok-yeol First Trial Sentencing: Life Imprisonment for 'Leading Insurrection'
• Yonhap News: Seoul High Court Insurrection Dedicated Trial Division to Handle 'Life Imprisonment' Yoon's Second Trial Begins Operation Tomorrow

Image Unavailability Reason: Images of Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young and the special prosecutor's office are restricted due to security reasons, and court/special prosecutor internal materials are inaccessible in real-time due to copyright and access restrictions. This article is text-centered based on public press releases.