Synopsis
During the sixth session of Yoon's impeachment trial, a former commander confirmed that Yoon ordered the removal of lawmakers from the National Assembly, not agents. This testimony contrasts with claims made by a former Minister, highlighting the confusion surrounding the directive issued during the martial law attempt.Key Takeaways
- Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the removal of lawmakers, not agents.
- Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun confirmed his understanding of the orders.
- Confusion arises from similar pronunciation in Korean.
- Col. Kim Hyun-tae spoke about sealing off the Assembly.
- The number 150 is crucial for voting against martial law.
Seoul, Feb 6 (NationPress) A former military commander from South Korea who was part of President Yoon Suk Yeol's unsuccessful martial law attempt confirmed on Thursday that the individuals Yoon instructed to be removed from the National Assembly were lawmakers and not agents.
Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun, who served as the chief of the Army Special Warfare Command at the time, made this statement as a witness during the sixth formal session of Yoon's impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court.
Yoon was also present, according to reports from the Yonhap news agency.
"I clearly understood the directive to forcibly remove individuals as pertaining to lawmakers since there were no operational agents present in the main parliamentary building then," Kwak stated, referencing a phone call he received from Yoon on the night martial law was enacted on December 3.
Kwak reiterated testimony he provided earlier in parliament, countering claims by former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who asserted that Yoon had actually ordered the removal of agents instead of lawmakers.
The similarity in pronunciation between the Korean terms for agent and lawmaker adds to the confusion.
During the proceedings, Col. Kim Hyun-tae, the head of the Army Special Warfare Command's 707th Special Mission Group, testified that he was directed to secure the National Assembly building while the decree was active.
"The directive I received was to seal off and secure the National Assembly," he stated, mentioning that he communicated this instruction to his team.
He also recalled a conversation with Kwak after his team entered the parliamentary building on that fateful night, wherein Kwak inquired if further entry was possible, noting, "since there can't be more than 150 people."
Kim expressed uncertainty about the significance of the number 150 at the time but later realized it represented the minimum number of lawmakers required to invalidate Yoon's martial law decree.
When questioned about orders to physically remove lawmakers, he replied, "There was no such command, and even if there had been, it would not have been feasible."
Senior presidential secretary for economic affairs Park Chun-sup is also scheduled to provide testimony.
Park is anticipated to address the opposition party's attempts to reduce the government budget, which Yoon's administration has cited as a contributing factor to the declaration of martial law.
