Deposed South Korean Defense Minister Yoon never considered full martial law, according to Reuters
By Hyunsoo Yim and Heinhee Shin.
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s former defense minister, who was accused of violence during a brief trial of martial law, went to court on Thursday to seek a wider military deployment, but was condemned by President Yoon Suk-yeol.
Kim Yong-hyun, who resigned after martial law on Dec. 3 and is now in prison, testified on Dec. 14 before the country’s constitutional court, which will decide whether to reinstate Yoon or remove him from power altogether.
Yun’s main defense issue was that he never intended to use the declaration to break the political deadlock and impose military rule.
When Kim was questioned by Jun’s lawyers, the president shot down the defense minister’s proposal to mobilize all military units in Seoul.
Kim confirmed that he had proposed sending some units to opposition party headquarters and a left-wing polling agency.
The Constitutional Court began hearings on December 27 to review the allegations that Jun had imposed martial law without reason.
In an earlier hearing, the parliament’s legal team presented testimony from military commanders and video footage showing military helicopters landing in the parliament compound as special forces troops stormed the main building, as well as soldiers entering the National Election Commission.
An opposition Democratic Party lawmaker condemned the “December 3 Uprising,” saying Yun and his supporters sought violence to reject the recent arrest warrant.
On Thursday, South Korea’s anti-corruption agency referred Jun to prosecutors, saying he should be charged with rebellion and abuse of power.
In December, the military’s special warfare chief, Kwak Jong-gyun, told a parliamentary committee that he had received several phone calls from the UN while the events were unfolding, including an order to “pull” lawmakers from parliament.
Kwak, who has since been charged with sedition, said he chose not to comply with that order.
Asked about that report by a Constitutional Court judge on Tuesday, Yoon declined to issue such an order.
Army deployment
Other military officers said it was Kim who ordered lawmakers out of parliament.
On Thursday, Kim admitted that he had proposed declaring martial law for Yoon.
The opposition party is concerned with only three things, namely protecting the opposition leader from legal liability, impeaching government officials and launching special counsels against him.
According to Yun, the opposition party’s “parliamentary tyranny and violence have gone out of control” and left no choice.
About 1,605 soldiers and 3,144 police officers have been deployed to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission, according to an indictment against military commanders submitted by parliamentarian Bo Seung-chan and reviewed by Reuters.
Some entered the parliament building by breaking windows, barricading doors with furniture and clashing with staff armed with fire extinguishers.
Yun lifted martial law six hours later and parliament rejected military and police sanctions to challenge the decree.
In Thursday’s hearing, Yun disputed the idea that martial law had been disrupted, which he always intended to be a limited procedure.
“This was not a failed martial law, it ended a little sooner than expected, because the National Assembly demanded a quick withdrawal, and I ordered the military to withdraw,” Yun said.
Kim said on Dec. 3 that he had shared with the defense counterintelligence chief the names of potential violators, but that it was not an arrest list.
Yoon is seen occasionally criticizing Kim during his testimony.