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Yoon made multiple calls to conservative YouTuber around martial law declaration, investigation finds

Published: 16 May. 2025, 11:48

President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the opening session of the Ministerial Conference of the Third Summit for Democracy in March last year. The Constitutional Court upheld the National Assembly’s impeachment of Yoon, ousting him from office on April 4. [YONHAP]

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol made multiple phone calls to conservative YouTuber Ko Sung-kuk before and after declaring martial law on Dec. 3 last year, according to newly disclosed investigation findings.

The special investigation unit for the Dec. 3 martial law declaration under the National Office of Investigation said Thursday it had submitted call records from a personal mobile phone used by Yoon to the prosecution.

According to the call records, Yoon phoned then-People Power Party (PPP) floor leader Choo Kyung-ho and Rep. Na Kyung-won one after another, approximately an hour after he declared martial law at around 10:23 p.m.

Yoon spoke with Choo for about one minute starting at 11:22 p.m. on Dec. 3, 2024, and then called Na at 11:26 p.m., talking for about 40 seconds. At the time, the PPP had convened an emergency general meeting of lawmakers in response to the declaration.

In a January media interview, Choo said Yoon had explained the background of the declaration as outlined in his public address and expressed regret for not giving prior notice. Choo said the party then moved the meeting to the National Assembly and joined other lawmakers there. Yoon also reportedly told Na he was sorry for not informing her in advance.

People Power Party presidential primary candidate Na Kyung-won speaks during a press conference at the Daegu City Hall on April 21. [YONHAP]

After lifting the martial law, Yoon held a series of phone calls with former Cabinet members. He spoke with former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo for about 15 minutes around noon on Dec. 4, and called former Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Choi Sang-mok at 1 p.m. for a roughly 6-minute and 40-second conversation.

Immediately after ending the call with Choi, Yoon called former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min twice, speaking for a total of about seven minutes. In an earlier statement to investigators, Lee recalled Yoon saying during the calls, “Thankfully, the martial law ended quickly without bloodshed,” and “There was no other option due to the impeachment.”

Yoon also contacted PPP presidential candidate and then-Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo on Dec. 9, six days after the declaration, for a three-minute phone conversation. Kim had not attended the Cabinet meeting during which martial law was declared.

People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo poses for photos inside his car in Miryang, South Gyeongsang, on May 14. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs Kim Joo-hyun also spoke with Yoon both in the morning and again in the evening of Dec. 4. That evening, Kim took part in a secret meeting alongside Lee Sang-min. During a January parliamentary session, Kim said the phone call involved discussions on legal responses.

Yoon exchanged multiple calls with Ko, who runs the YouTube channel “Ko Sung-kuk TV” through which he raised allegations of election fraud. On Dec. 6 — three days after martial law was lifted — Yoon called Ko five times between 4:37 p.m. and 4:44 p.m. That evening, Ko’s broadcast sharply criticized former PPP leader Han Dong-hoon. Yoon also called Ko again around 11 a.m. on Dec. 10.

The two had also exchanged messages and calls on Nov. 21, about two weeks prior to the martial law declaration. Yoon sent Ko a text message, and Ko responded with a phone call about 25 minutes later.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHOI SEO-IN, YANG SU-MIN [[email protected]]