Top brass get grilled during parliamentary meeting on Dec. 3 martial law
Published: 14 Jan. 2025, 16:44
![Head of Special Warfare Command Kwak Jong-keun, right, speaks at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Jan 14. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/14/fafa487d-c8da-4013-8934-71b5012e1a3c.jpg)
Head of Special Warfare Command Kwak Jong-keun, right, speaks at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Jan 14. [YONHAP]
Lawmakers grilled current and former military officials during the National Assembly's special committee on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration, which held its first institutional briefing on Tuesday.
The briefing included key witnesses, such as Army Chief of Staff Park An-su, who was the martial law commander at the time and is under arrest and indictment, as well as Special Warfare Command head Kwak Jong-keun and Capital Defense Command chief Lee Jin-woo, who are also under detention and indictment.
During the briefing, ruling and opposition parties clashed over the legitimacy of the Dec. 3 martial law declaration and the ongoing debate surrounding the special prosecution into treason charges.
The conservative People Power Party (PPP) criticized the inclusion of Crimes Concerning Foreign Aggression in the opposition-led special prosecutor proposal.
"Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung claimed that if we strike the origin of North Korea's balloon provocations, it constitutes an act of inducing treason,” said PPP Rep. Kang Sun-young to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Kim Myung-soo.
“Doesn’t the military, which is tasked with deterring North Korean attacks, prepare for origin strikes in contingencies?"
When Kang asked if "planning for such contingencies could be considered inducement of Foreign Aggression," Kim said. "I do not agree."
"DP Supreme Council member Jeon Hyun-heui claimed that 'HID Black Agents are roaming around armed without returning,' which is baseless fake news," said PPP Rep. Kwak Kyu-taek. “The DP makes reckless claims based on unfounded reports but takes no responsibility."
The DP focused on the illegitimacy of using the military for an unjustifiable martial law declaration.
"During martial law, the military mobilized with over 180,000 rounds of ammunition,” said DP Rep. Min Hong-chul to Kwak. “Wasn’t this an attempt to turn Seoul into a second Gwangju?"
"From late 2023 to 2024, President Yoon’s actions were filled with martial law simulations at golf courses and dinner gatherings at the presidential residence,” said DP Rep. Park Sun-won. “He even mentioned emergency powers to figures like Chairman Kim, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and Defense Counterintelligence Command chief Yeo In-hyung."
DP Rep. Choo Mi-ae demanded a detailed record of Yoon’s and former Minister Kim’s golf course visits in 2024, claiming that the "military golf courses were a key venue for treason preparation."
The PPP expressed concerns about potential security risks in the opposition's requests for investigation-related documents.
"The opposition demanded information on units placed on standby, including their commanders and troop numbers,” said PPP Rep. Lim Jong-deuk. “This included specifics like unit names and battalion counts, which must be protected for the sake of national interest and security."
BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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