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Yoon denies issuing direct orders during Martial Law operation

Yoon denies issuing direct orders during Martial Law operation

Posted February. 05, 2025 07:45,   

Updated February. 05, 2025 07:45

한국어

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared before the Constitutional Court on Tuesday as a respondent in his impeachment trial, while three former senior military and intelligence officials took the stand as witnesses. Among them were Lee Jin-woo, former commander of the Capital Defense Command; Yeo In-hyeong, former chief of the Defense Counterintelligence Command; and Hong Jang-won, former first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service.

A central question in the proceedings was whether President Yoon had ordered military commanders to remove lawmakers from the National Assembly on the day of the December 3 martial law declaration. However, both Lee and Yeo declined to answer key questions about Yoon’s instructions at the time, repeatedly stating, “I will not respond.” Their reluctance appeared to stem from concerns that their testimony could be used against them in their own legal proceedings.

President Yoon, for his part, dismissed the allegations, saying, “Looking at this case, I feel as though people are chasing after the reflection of the moon on the surface of a lake—pursuing something that never actually happened.” The president refrained from directly addressing whether he had issued such an order, instead deflecting with his metaphor. “As commander-in-chief, I do not wish to comment on the testimonies of honorable officers,” he said.

However, on the same day, former Special Warfare Command chief Kwak Jong-geun testified before a parliamentary investigation committee that President Yoon had personally called him during the crisis and ordered, “Remove the people inside.” Kwak added that the individuals in question were not even inside the National Assembly building at the time. When asked whether the only targets had been lawmakers and their aides, he replied, “That is correct.” His statement directly contradicted that of former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who previously testified before the Constitutional Court that the president had ordered the removal of non-legislative personnel, such as military intelligence agents.

During the martial law operation, over 600 armed troops from the Special Warfare Command and Capital Defense Command were deployed to the National Assembly. Some soldiers forcibly entered the main building by smashing windows. According to prosecutors, President Yoon had called Kwak and ordered him to “break down the doors with an axe if necessary” to reach the legislative chamber and remove lawmakers. Kim, the former defense minister, also allegedly instructed troops to ensure that fewer than 150 legislators were present—a move interpreted as an effort to block a parliamentary vote on lifting martial law. Despite this, the president has continued to insist that the deployment of troops was meant to “maintain order and uphold symbolic authority,” a senseless justification that Kim has echoed with similar claims.

At the heart of the impeachment case is whether the military was used to paralyze the legislature and whether authorities attempted to arrest key political figures without warrants. Prosecutors, police, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials conducted extensive probes over two months following the martial law declaration. The courts deemed the allegations against the president credible to issue an arrest warrant.