Interior minister blames Yoon for 'unconstitutional' martial law declaration

Home > National > Politics

Interior minister blames Yoon for 'unconstitutional' martial law declaration

Published: 11 Dec. 2024, 19:19 Updated: 11 Dec. 2024, 23:30

SEO JI-EUN
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo bows and apologizes over the controversial martial law declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol on Dec. 3 during a plenary session at the National Assembly on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

Acting Minister of the Interior and Safety Ko Ki-dong said Wednesday that President Yoon Suk Yeol's Dec. 3 declaration of martial law was "unconstitutional," with Yoon seen as the "ringleader" of the event.

When asked repeatedly about the "ringleader of the treason" in an emergency parliamentary session on Wednesday to address the martial law crisis by the opposition party members, Ko initially hesitated but eventually said that "the president is currently being discussed" as the mastermind.

Ko assumed the role of acting Interior Minister after his predecessor, Lee Sang-min, stepped down amid the short-lived martial law declaration. Lee has been summoned by police as a suspect in a treason case.

Despite holding a Cabinet meeting shortly before the Dec. 3 martial law declaration, government ministers could not prevent the move, merely voicing unanimous opposition to the plan, according to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

Under the Constitution and the Martial Law Act, the president is required to consult the Cabinet before declaring martial law. However, the law does not mandate a formal vote.

Behind the martial law declaration: What happened on that night, and who gave orders

The meeting lasted five minutes, from 10:17 p.m. to 10:22 p.m., on Dec. 3 at the Presidential Office, according to disclosures by the Interior Ministry received from the Presidential Office Wednesday.

The meeting included 11 participants, including Yoon, Han and other Cabinet members. The agenda, titled "Proposal for Declaring Martial Law," justified the action as necessary to "maintain constitutional order." However, the presidential office said there were no minutes from the meeting.

A separate Cabinet meeting to lift martial law was held at 4:27 a.m. on Dec. 4 and lasted only two minutes, adding to criticisms of procedural inadequacies.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Cabinet members exit the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno District after concluding a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

Han disclosed that he was informed of the martial law proposal at 8:40 p.m. on Dec. 3, just two hours before it was publicly announced at around 10:30 p.m. "I was unaware of any prior signs," he said, adding that he suggested convening the Cabinet meeting to discuss and oppose the declaration collectively.

Han admitted that the meeting lacked "physical and procedural" procedures, such as formal opening and closing statements, and even failed to identify the martial law commander.

Han admitted that such flaws should be "subject to future investigation."

The prime minister confirmed that all Cabinet members opposed the martial law. "Everyone expressed concerns," he said, citing the potential for "significant damage to the Korean economy and credibility" as well as the "lack of receptivity" from the public.

Justice Minister Park Sung-jae corroborated Han's account during a separate hearing, saying most Cabinet members learned of the agenda only upon arriving at the venue.

"No one supported moving forward with the martial law declaration," Park said. "People were shocked and questioned whether this was appropriate." He added that the meeting was held informally, without proper procedures or discussions.

Han emphasized that the Cabinet meeting was not convened to legitimize the declaration but to create an opportunity for ministers to oppose it and voice their concerns. "The intent was to bring ministers together so that more voices against the declaration could be heard," he said.

Still, Han acknowledged the Cabinet's failure to block the martial law decree.

"Ultimately, we failed to stop it," he admitted.

"I deeply regret the failures and feel a heavy sense of guilt," Han said.

Contradicting Han's claim that the Cabinet meeting was convened to persuade the president against declaring martial law, some ministers stated they were unaware of the agenda until the meeting began.

"I entered the meeting room around 10:10 to 10:15 p.m., completely unaware of the situation," Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryeong said. "I had to ask the person next to me what the meeting was about." She added, "I only heard two words: ‘martial law.’"

Song also revealed that Yoon attended the meeting for only two to three minutes before leaving. She claimed that Cabinet members were left to watch the martial law declaration on live television without further discussions.

When a DP lawmaker asked ministers to raise their hands if they voiced opposition to martial law in front of Yoon, only Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok and Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul raised their hands.

Questions also arose over the proposed joint governance arrangement involving Prime Minister Han and the leader of the president's party, Han Dong-hoon, that surfaced after the National Assembly failed to pass an impeachment motion against Yoon — a plan criticized for constitutional violations.

Han said that he was "unaware" of the proposed plan until the time of the joint public announcement.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]