Han says everyone at Cabinet meeting opposed martial law at 10th Yoon impeachment hearing

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Han says everyone at Cabinet meeting opposed martial law at 10th Yoon impeachment hearing

Published: 20 Feb. 2025, 20:09 Updated: 20 Feb. 2025, 23:04

MICHAEL LEE
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the 10th hearing of his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Feb. 20. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo testified at the 10th hearing of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment hearing at the Constitutional Court on Thursday that all ministers present for the Dec. 3 Cabinet meeting tried to dissuade Yoon from declaring martial law that night.

Han was the first to testify on Thursday. He was followed by Hong Jang-won, former first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and Cho Ji-ho, commissioner general of the National Police Agency (NPA).

Han testified that the ministers’ gathering on Dec. 3 was marred by both “procedural and practical” irregularities that made it “different from usual Cabinet meetings.”

The National Assembly’s impeachment committee, which is the prosecuting authority in the trial, has accused Yoon of leading an insurrection intended to replace democracy with military rule.

During Thursday’s hearing, the legislature’s representatives pressed Han about whether Yoon observed the proper legal procedure for imposing martial law.

In response, Han said that Yoon not only failed to consult him on his plan but also did not notify the National Assembly. Both steps are required by law.

When a lawyer for the National Assembly asked why his testimony differed from that of former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who previously told the court that some ministers at the meeting supported declaring martial law, Han said, “That’s not my recollection at all.”

The prime minister further denied supporting Yoon’s plan or seeing any related documents beforehand.

During their cross-examination of Han, Yoon’s lawyers asked the prime minister to detail actions by the liberal Democratic Party (DP) that the president cited as his rationale for declaring martial law.

Han noted that the National Assembly took several “unprecedented” steps, such as cutting the budget for law enforcement operations, nuclear energy, ecological safeguards and disaster preparedness.

Han’s remarks appeared to indirectly blame the DP, which controls the legislature, for driving domestic politics to a standstill.

He also expressed concern that “the country has no future” without functioning political leadership.

Though the prime minister was summoned to the hearing at the request of the president’s lawyers, court observers believe his testimony regarding the Dec. 3 Cabinet meeting strengthened the National Assembly’s argument that Yoon committed multiple violations when he declared martial law.

Han’s testimony was not heard by Yoon, who took his seat in the courtroom around 2:56 p.m. but departed the proceedings around 3:04 p.m., around four minutes before the prime minister entered.

One of the president’s lawyers later said Yoon did not believe it would be “good for the country’s standing” if both were present at the hearing.

Yoon reentered the courtroom at 5:02 p.m. as Hong’s witness examination began.

During his testimony, the NIS official doubled down on his previous remarks that he was told over the phone to arrest DP leader Lee Jae-myung and other high-profile politicians on Dec. 3 by then-Defense Counterintelligence Command chief Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung.

However, he said he wrote the list of names inside the spy agency’s headquarters at 11:06 p.m., not in an empty lot in front of the NIS director’s official residence at 10:58 p.m. as he originally told the court on Feb. 4.

Hong said that he spoke with Yeo twice over the phone that night — first outside and later inside the NIS — and admitted to confusing which was the call where he was told the names of politicians marked for arrest.

His credibility was questioned by NIS Director Cho Tae-yong, who told the court on Feb. 13 that surveillance footage showed Hong inside the spy agency at the time he claimed to be outside writing the list.

Hong said Thursday he wrote the note to “remember the names of politicians that the Defense Counterintelligence Command planned to arrest.”

NPA chief Cho, who took the witness stand at 7 p.m., declined to answer most questions directed at him by the National Assembly and Yoon’s lawyers.

His attendance at the 10th hearing came after he refused to appear twice on grounds of ill health due to leukemia.

Cho, who is believed to have knowledge of who ordered troops into the National Assembly to prevent lawmakers from voting to rescind Yoon’s decree, said he was “unable to testify” due to his status as a defendant in a criminal trial on insurrection charges.

However, he said he would “explain everything” during his criminal trial.

“I will reveal the facts as they are and take responsibility where necessary,” he said.

Update, Feb. 20: NPA Commisioner General Cho’s remarks at the hearing added.

BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]