SEOUL: An Army colonel who was involved in President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law revealed on Thursday that he was ordered to seal off and secure the National Assembly building during the decree's enforcement.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Col. Kim Hyun-tae, who commands the Army Special Warfare Command's 707th Special Mission Group, shared his experiences as a witness during the sixth formal hearing of President Yoon's impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court. President Yoon was also present at the hearing.
Col. Kim explained that his mission was to "seal off and secure" the National Assembly and that he had communicated this directive to his troops. He recounted a conversation with Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun, then chief of the Army Special Warfare Command, in which Kwak inquired if they could proceed further, indicating there could be no more than 150 people inside.
Kim mentioned that he was initially unaware of the significance of the number 150 but later learned it represented the minimum number of lawmakers required to vote against Yoon's martial law decree. When questioned about any orders to forcibly remove lawmakers, Kim stated, "There was no such order and by my recollection even if there had been it wouldn't have worked."
The session is also set to include testimony from Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun, who has accused President Yoon of instructing the removal of lawmakers from the National Assembly during martial law. Previously, Kwak testified that Yoon contacted him via a secure line on Dec. 3, the day martial law was enacted, and ordered the extraction of lawmakers from the building.
In contrast, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun testified that Yoon had ordered the removal of "agents" rather than lawmakers. However, Kwak contested this claim, asserting that no agents were present in the building at that time.
Additionally, Senior Presidential Secretary for Economic Affairs Park Chun-sup is expected to testify. Park will likely face questions regarding the opposition party's initiative to reduce the government budget, which Yoon's administration has cited as a justification for declaring martial law.