Yoon wanted to bypass Cabinet when declaring martial law, senior officials tell police
Published: 31 Jan. 2025, 14:06
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- SEO JI-EUN
- [email protected]
![President Yoon Suk Yeol declares an emergency martial law in an unannounced press conference at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul on Dec. 3. [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/31/312cecbf-bbea-43ad-9975-496bcc9488b6.jpg)
President Yoon Suk Yeol declares an emergency martial law in an unannounced press conference at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul on Dec. 3. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
Police investigations revealed that President Yoon Suk Yeol attempted to declare martial law unilaterally through a surprise televised address on Dec. 3, bypassing a formal Cabinet meeting, according to testimony from senior officials.
Documents obtained by the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, showed Thursday that key Cabinet members told investigators the president had already decided on the declaration before gathering his ministers, and the Cabinet meeting that was later held did not meet legal requirements.
"The president didn’t seem to consider a Cabinet meeting at all," Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said.
He also described the last-minute Cabinet meeting as an informal "gathering" of Cabinet members rather than an official session.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok, who also serves as deputy prime minister, echoed Han's testimony, telling police that the meeting lacked key procedural elements.
"There was no gaveling process at the beginning or end of the meeting, and to this day, I do not consider it a legitimate Cabinet meeting," he said.
Choi also noted that the meeting was held in a small conference room typically used for discussions between the president and senior aides, a location never used for Cabinet meetings before. He even provided investigators with a diagram showing the seating arrangement and exits of the room.
Before the Cabinet meeting was convened, Yoon reportedly informed several Cabinet members in his office that he had already made the decision, telling the gathered ministers that he was “now declaring martial law.”
When attendees attempted to dissuade him, the president justified his decision without Cabinet deliberation, saying he was already scheduled to give a live broadcast on KBS at 10 p.m.
Some Cabinet members, including the now-impeached prime minister and former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, reportedly sought to stall the process.
![A helicopter carrying troops lands at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Dec. 4. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/31/bf5a4d9e-314b-453b-b17f-4745590dafc1.jpg)
A helicopter carrying troops lands at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Dec. 4. [JOONGANG ILBO]
"The president was firmly determined to declare martial law, so I told him, 'Please listen to what the other Cabinet members have to say,'" Han said. "In response, the president said, 'Then go ahead and gather them,'" explaining how the controversial Cabinet meeting was convened.
"A Cabinet meeting was necessary, so we thought, ‘Let’s gather the ministers and try to oppose or delay the declaration,' and 'Let's buy time to change the president’s mind,’” Lee testified.
![Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, left, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo attend the first parliamentary hearing on President Yoon Suk Yeol's alleged insurrection, held at the National Assembly in Seoul on Jan. 22. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/31/6142ff01-1f4c-44ec-ab08-1f2b40fe36b5.jpg)
Former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, left, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo attend the first parliamentary hearing on President Yoon Suk Yeol's alleged insurrection, held at the National Assembly in Seoul on Jan. 22. [NEWS1]
Police determined that the session did not meet the legal criteria for an official Cabinet meeting. There was no formal meeting record summarizing key discussions, no signatures from Cabinet members, and official procedures, such as an opening declaration and a national salute, were omitted.
In public statements and a submission to the Constitutional Court, Yoon has argued that declaring martial law is a "highly discretionary executive act of the president" that falls outside judicial review. However, if the meeting is ruled illegitimate, the martial law declaration itself could be deemed against the law.
Authorities, including police and prosecutors, are now examining whether Yoon’s actions constitute an insurrection, as they allegedly interfered with the constitutional functions of institutions such as the National Assembly and the National Election Commission.
Investigators are also reviewing the legality of the martial law declaration process.
BY YANG SU-MIN, CHOI SEO-IN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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