Protesters march during a rally against South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, who declared martial law, which was reversed hours later, in Seoul, South Korea, December 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
South Korea’s suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol authorised the military to fire their weapons if needed to enter parliament during his failed bid to impose martial law, according to a prosecutors’ report seen by AFP on Saturday (December 28, 2024).
The 10-page summary from former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun’s prosecution indictment report, which was provided to the media, also says Mr. Yoon vowed on December 3 to declare martial law three times if necessary.
Mr. Yoon, who was stripped of his duties by the National Assembly this month, is under investigation for his short-lived attempt to scrap civilian rule, which plunged the country into political turmoil and led to his impeachment.
Mr. Yoon’s lawyer Yoon Kab-keun dismissed the prosecutors’ report, telling AFP it was “a one-sided account that neither corresponds to objective circumstances nor common sense”.
As lawmakers rushed to parliament on December 3 to vote down Mr. Yoon’s martial law declaration, heavily armed troops stormed the building, scaling fences, smashing windows and landing by helicopter.
According to the prosecution indictment report, Mr. Yoon told the chief of the capital defence command, Lee Jin-woo, that military forces could shoot if necessary to enter the National Assembly.
“Have you still not got in? What are you doing? Break down the door and drag them out, even if it means shooting,” Mr. Yoon told Mr. Lee, according to the report.
Mr. Yoon also allegedly told the head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, General Kwak Jong-keun, to “quickly get inside” the National Assembly since the quorum for the martial law declaration to be lifted had not been met.
“So quickly get inside the National Assembly and bring out the people inside the chamber, and break down the doors with an axe if necessary and drag everyone out,” the report quotes Mr. Yoon as saying at the time.
After lawmakers rushed inside parliament and voted 190-0 to nullify Mr. Yoon’s declaration in the early hours of December 4, the report says Mr. Yoon told Mr. Lee, “Even if it’s lifted, I can declare martial law a second or third time, so just keep going.”
‘Ugly truth’
The report also included screenshots of senior defence officials’ messages from the day of the martial law declaration.
It said there was evidence that Mr. Yoon had been discussing declaring martial law with senior military officials as early as March.
The declaration followed a budget tussle between Mr. Yoon’s party and the opposition.
Days later, Mr. Yoon in a speech apologised for the “anxiety and inconvenience” and promised there would not be a second declaration of martial law.
Ex-Defence Minister Kim was arrested over his role in the failed martial law bid.
Opposition Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Sun-woo said in a statement on Saturday that “the prosecution has laid bare the undeniable ugly truth about Yoon Suk Yeol, the treasonous ringleader”, adding that he must be “arrested immediately”.
South Korea’s Constitutional Court held its first preliminary hearing on the validity of Mr. Yoon’s impeachment on Friday.
The court will also decide the fate of Mr. Yoon’s replacement, Han Duck-soo, who was impeached Friday over his refusal to complete Mr. Yoon’s impeachment process and bring him to justice.
Tens of thousands of Mr. Yoon supporters and opponents held rival mass rallies in central Seoul on Saturday.
“The martial law was legal, and president Yoon did it because of the insurrectionary opposition Democratic Party,” said 31-year-old Danny Ko, holding the slogan “Legal martial law, Invalid impeachment!”
“The Democratic Party will impeach [acting president] Choi Sang-mok like Han, and the country will go mad.”
An anti-Yoon crowd was gathered nearby holding signs such as: “A new leader for the new year” and “Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol”, with many singing along to K-pop songs and John Lennon’s “Imagine”.
“I felt so relieved when Han was impeached, he was also part of the insurrection” Kwak Min-jeong, 25, told AFP.
Holding a glow stick, Kwak said she would keep protesting until “democracy was achieved”.
“We are holding it to show our commitment, and unlike a candle, it will never go off,” she said.
Published – December 28, 2024 04:34 pm IST
