South Korea’s Yoon ordered army to ‘drag out’ MPs under martial law, officer says

Seoul — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol gave an order to “drag out” legislators from parliament after he declared martial law on December 3, an army commander said on Tuesday amid concerns of a power vacuum, with Yoon’s office saying it had “no official position” on who was running the country.

Yoon is now the subject of criminal investigations on insurrection charges. He has apologised for the failed attempt to impose martial law but has not accepted growing calls for him to step down, even from some members of his own party.

Yoon said on Saturday he was entrusting his legal and political fate in the hands of his ruling People Power Party (PPP). The party said on Tuesday that it was discussing Yoon’s potential resignation as early as February and holding a snap election in April or May.

Yoon’s surprise martial law declaration stunned the country and plunged Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a major US ally in the region into a constitutional crisis, sending shock waves through diplomatic and economic fronts.

Yoon’s office, when asked who was running South Korea, said it had “no official position to offer” but referred to past statements by the foreign and defence ministries.

The defence ministry spokesperson said on Monday Yoon was still commander in chief and the foreign ministry spokesperson said state affairs including foreign affairs “were being conducted under a process laid out in the constitution and the law”.

Kwak Jong-geun, the commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, told a parliament committee that he had received multiple telephone calls from Yoon as the events unfolded overnight after the martial law declaration.

“He said break the door down right now and get in there and drag out the people inside,” Kwak, referring to MPs who were starting to gather inside the main chamber to vote on ordering Yoon to rescind the martial law order.

Kwak said he decided not to execute Yoon’s order.

Yoon rescinded the martial law six hours later after parliament’s vote.

The testimony by the special forces commander differed from earlier statements by military officers that it was the defence minister at the time, Kim Yong-hyun, who gave the order to extract legislators from parliament chamber.

Kim has since resigned and has been arrested.

Yoon was banned from leaving the country, and faces a second impeachment vote planned for Saturday.

Lee Yang-soo, who chairs a PPP task force launched on Monday to map out Yoon’s eventual and “orderly” departure, said his team proposed the idea of having Yoon resign in February or March and holding an election two months later.

South Korea’s constitution requires an election within 60 days of his departure if Yoon leaves office before his single five-year term ends in May 2027.

“We’ve not yet reached a conclusion partywide and will have another meeting with all our MPs in the afternoon to discuss that plan,” Lee told reporters.

The idea came three days after PPP leader Han Dong-hoon said the president would be excluded from foreign and other state affairs, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would oversee the government.

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) criticised the announcement, saying it is unconstitutional and Yoon must be impeached or resign and face legal prosecution.

Kim Seon-taek, a professor at Korea University’s law school, said the president could delegate authority to the prime minister. Chang Young-soo, another professor from the same school, echoed Kim’s view but said there was debate on whether the prime minister has the authority to act as head of state on diplomatic matters.

There is growing dissent within the ruling camp, after only two of the 108 PPP legislators said they participated and voted for the impeachment motion last week.

The bill requires support from two-thirds of the single-chamber, 300-seat assembly to pass, which means at least eight would have to join the opposition.

On Tuesday, Kim Sang-wook became the third PPP legislator to openly declare support for the motion after opposing it in the first vote.

Another member, Bae Hyun-jin, also criticised last week’s boycott and vowed to join on Saturday, while Cho Kyoung-tae said he would also vote if Yoon does not resign before then, but did not say for which side.

Kim, speaking at a news conference, said other PPP members are likely to join him, adding: “I think there’s a sufficient number to pass impeachment.”

In a rare sign of bipartisan support, the parliament passed a motion on Tuesday to appoint a special counsel to probe the martial law case amid concerns about intensifying rivalry among various agencies that have launched their own investigations.

Yoon, his former defence minister Kim, former interior minister Lee Sang-min and several military and police officials face charges of insurrection and abuse of power.

A Seoul court began a hearing on Tuesday for a formal detention warrant that prosecutors requested for Kim, who was arrested on Sunday. He did not appear but issued a statement through his lawyer saying that all responsibilities for the crisis “lie solely with me”.

Police also asked for 11 cabinet ministers who attended a late-night meeting, which Yoon convened shortly before declaring martial law, to appear for questioning, the Yonhap news agency reported.

Reuters