Lee Jun-seok "Myeong Tae-gyun's 'Golden Phone' Suspected as Emergency Martial Law Trigger"

The Day Before, Myung Taekyun Indicted
"Seemed to Think He Couldn't Endure by Normal Means"

Lee Jun-seok, a member of the Reform New Party, pointed out that political broker Myung Tae-gyun's mention of providing the so-called golden phone to the opposition party seems to have been the trigger for the declaration of martial law.

Yonhap News

On the 4th, during CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' in response to the host's question, "What do you think was President Yoon Seok-yeol's intention in declaring martial law?" Lee said, "Many lawmakers have said that a special situation must have occurred," adding, "For example, the day before, the indictment of Myung Tae-gyun was a major issue. Myung expressed his intention to undergo a special investigation, which was essentially an indication that he would provide the materials he possesses."

The day before, the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office indicted Myung on charges of violating the Political Funds Act and detained him. On the 2nd, Nam Sang-kwon, Myung's defense attorney, stated, "If Myung has a mobile phone, he might submit it not to the prosecution but to the public through the media, or to the court, or even to the Democratic Party, which is aiming to gain power."

Lee said, "The party responsible for the Myung incident has already provided the materials to the prosecution and others, and some lawmakers recognized that President Yoon had obtained this information in advance and that it would be impossible to endure by normal means," adding, "The opposition suspects that something may have emerged during the investigation process."

He added, "(President Yoon) himself is a legal professional, but (the martial law) violates the constitution. Also, looking at the proclamation order, the medical school issue was mentioned, which was a disorganized attempt," and said, "It was an act equivalent to rebellion."

Lee also said that among lawmakers, there is widespread concern that President Yoon might declare a second martial law. He said, "The majority of lawmakers think of President Yoon as 'someone who no longer knows what to do,'" adding, "It is obvious that his approval rating will drop to single digits starting this week, and when cornered, there is a psychological urge to do something. Many things that would normally be unthinkable have been discussed."

Furthermore, he said, "Given the current atmosphere, it seems appropriate to proceed directly to impeachment against President Yoon," and added, "There is also talk within the pan-opposition camp about issuing a final ultimatum urging the president to resign before going through all procedures, allowing some time."