Controversy Over Martial Law Troops Leaving Magazines and Handcuffs... Did They Only Carry Live Rounds or Were They Also Loaded?

Kim Seonho "Did Not Provide Live Ammunition" Explanation, but
Controversy Over Lost Magazines and Handcuffs of Martial Law Troops Deployed to the National Assembly

After President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on the night of the 3rd, reports have emerged that armed martial law troops were deployed to the National Assembly, and that these troops dropped magazines and handcuffs, sparking controversy.

According to a JTBC report on the 5th, between the night of the 3rd and the early morning of the 4th, as lawmakers were gathering in the main plenary hall of the National Assembly, martial law troops armed with rifles attempted to enter the main building. As they tried to force their way through the doors, clashes occurred with lawmakers and their aides. Although the troops failed to enter the plenary hall, it was reported that a magazine they were carrying fell off during the scuffle. At the rear information desk of the National Assembly, a dispute broke out between the martial law troops controlling access and others over whether live ammunition was being carried.

Photo of a magazine believed to have been left by martial law troops at the National Assembly. JTBC

JTBC reported that the magazine in question "is for a semi-automatic pistol and appears to be loaded with live rounds based on the photo." Additionally, it was revealed that the martial law troops lost handcuffs, presumed to be intended for use in arrests during the operation, further fueling the controversy.

In response, Kim Sun-ho, Deputy Minister of National Defense, appeared before the National Assembly on the 5th and, when asked by Yoo Yong-won, a member of the People Power Party, whether live ammunition was issued to the Special Forces 707 unit deployed as martial law troops, he explained, "After confirming with the Special Forces Commander, there was no issuance of live ammunition." He added, "The deployment of troops to the National Assembly following President Yoon Suk-yeol’s declaration of martial law on the night of the 3rd was ordered by then-Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun," and stated that he himself was opposed to the troop mobilization.

Earlier, on the night of the 3rd, President Yoon Suk-yeol announced an emergency statement at the Presidential Office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, declaring, "To protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces and to eradicate the shameless pro-North anti-state forces who plunder our citizens’ freedom and happiness, and to uphold the free constitutional order, I hereby declare martial law." Subsequently, at 1 a.m. on the 4th, a motion to lift martial law was submitted to the plenary session and was unanimously approved with 190 lawmakers present. President Yoon chaired a Cabinet meeting in the early hours of the 4th and approved the National Assembly’s request to lift martial law, ending it within six hours.