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Former spec ops commander claims Yoon ordered capture of politicians so he could 'shoot them dead'

Published: 03 Nov. 2025, 19:53

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the first trial hearing on charges including obstruction of special official duties and abuse of power at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul on Sept. 26. [YONHAP]

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun, who was the head of the Army Special Warfare Command during martial law on Dec. 3 last year, to capture former People Power Party leader Han Dong‑hoon and certain other politicians so that he could “shoot and kill” them, the soldier said on Monday.

“Yoon named Han Dong-hoon and some other politicians, then said, ‘Bring them before me,’ and ‘I’ll shoot them dead if I must,’” Kwak said at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul. Yoon denied the allegation, saying they were “entirely untrue,” according to his legal team.

Kwak made the remarks while testifying in Yoon’s trial, in which the former president faces charges of leading an insurrection. Yoon made the statement during a dinner at the presidential residence following the Armed Forces Day event on Oct. 1, 2024, according to Kwak.

The gathering included Yoon; Kim Yong-hyun, the former defense minister; Yeo In-hyung, the former head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command; and Lee Jin-woo, the former head of the Capital Defense Command, according to prosecutors.

Yoon described the gathering as “an impromptu meeting,” while Kwak said Yeo had contacted him several days earlier and told him to come in civilian attire.

Yoon also claimed the dinner was simply a gesture of “encouragement,” adding that Kwak arrived after 8 p.m. and conversation quickly turned to soju and beer rather than state affairs.

“That was no setting for national security discussions,” Yoon said. “It wasn’t a formal dinner prepared by chefs like the ones held in the official banquet hall. I asked them to come to the dining area in my living quarters instead, and I waited with some rolled omelets and bacon I had cooked myself. If I had invited them days in advance, it would have been a course meal. That wasn’t a setting for discussing state affairs.”

Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun answers questions from lawyers during the sixth impeachment hearing of former President Yoon Suk Yeol at the Constitutional Court in central Seoul on Feb. 6. [YONHAP]

In response, Kwak said, “Since you insist on that version, I will speak of parts I could not mention earlier. You clearly brought up Han Dong-hoon and some politicians.”

Kwak added, “Until now, I never mentioned this to prosecutors and only spoke about Han Dong-hoon. If former President Yoon hadn't said those words, I wouldn't have brought this up.”

After hearing Kwak's statement, Yoon did not ask any follow-up questions.

Their accounts of a meeting at a government facility in Samcheong-dong, central Seoul, on June 17, 2024, also differed.

Prosecutors wrote in the indictment that Kim Yong-hyun, the former presidential security service chief, introduced four generals to Yoon at the meeting, saying they were “generals loyal to the president.” Prosecutors suspect that after this meeting, Yoon discussed martial law with the commanders and later detailed what became known as the “Dec. 3 martial law plan.”

Yoon argued that the gathering was simply “a meeting meant to offer encouragement.” He asked Kwak, “Didn’t the former security chief, Kim Yong-hyun, say that the president meets with security units once or twice a year for encouragement?”

Kwak replied, “He didn't explain that purpose.”

Yoon then asked, “Did you hear me talk about foreign affairs, security or economic difficulties during that meeting?”

Kwak answered, “I remember you linking all those issues to anti-state or pro-North Korean forces.”

Yoon’s legal team later issued a statement rejecting Kwak’s testimony, calling “the claim regarding Han Dong-hoon [...] completely false.”

“None of us had heard this before, and former President Yoon never made such a remark. Given the inconsistencies and frequent changes in Kwak’s statements, his credibility is highly questionable,” the team said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHOI SEO-IN [[email protected]]