Proclamation 'Punishment of Residents'... Choo Mi-ae "Predicted Mass Destruction"

"Copied Exactly from the 1980 Proclamation"

Choo Mi-ae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, claimed that President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law "to reorganize the political order through a coup d'?tat and to establish a foundation for long-term rule," adding that "he believed the basis for long-term rule comes from the barrel of a gun." Choo serves as the head of the Yoon Suk-yeol Insurrection Investigation Team within the Democratic Party's '12·3 Yoon Suk-yeol Insurrection Special Countermeasures Committee.'

On the 11th, on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' Choo criticized, "President Yoon remained silent after declaring martial law and then excused himself by saying he did it out of desperation, but if he was desperate, would he commit treason against the people?" President Yoon had stated in a national address on the 7th, "The declaration of martial law stemmed from the desperation of the president as the ultimate person responsible for state affairs," and "I deeply regret causing anxiety and inconvenience to the people during that process."

Choo Mi-ae, member of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding the martial law command proclamation announced during the 12·3 martial law declaration, Choo pointed out, "They copied the entire text of Martial Law Proclamation No. 10 from 1980, and among it, five emphasized points were directly used in this proclamation. Because they copied it verbatim, they even made the mistake of repeating terrifying words like 'execute,' which are no longer used today," she said. The five emphasized points that Choo said were copied from the 1980 proclamation include ▲ban on indoor and outdoor assemblies for political purposes ▲prior censorship of media, publications, reports, and broadcasts ▲prohibition of strikes and work stoppages ▲ban on fabrication and dissemination of rumors ▲arrest, detention, and search and seizure without warrants.

In particular, the controversial part of the 12·3 proclamation was the content about executing non-returning medical interns. Choo claimed, "The document includes securing hospital facilities," and "this was because they anticipated mass casualties during the operation." She added, "There was testimony that the president ordered to 'pull them out,' but if such physical force is used, clashes will occur, and third parties trying to stop it will also get hurt. Therefore, doctors need to return quickly, but since doctors have resigned, they said 'if you don't return, you will be executed' to instill fear."

Choo predicted that the impeachment motion against President Yoon would be passed at the National Assembly plenary session on the 14th.

She explained, "Last week and this week have been very different. Seeing military commanders confess and provide tips, it seems they believe President Yoon should not remain in office even for one more day." She continued, "In politics, there seems to be political calculations about whether he will resign or step down voluntarily, but the longer the calculation is delayed, the less advantageous it becomes," emphasizing, "We must swiftly restore constitutional order and fulfill our duties as lawmakers by passing the impeachment motion quickly this week."

The day before, former Special Forces Commander Kwak Jong-geun claimed that during the martial law crisis, President Yoon called and ordered to "break down the door and drag out the people inside the National Assembly." Regarding this, Choo said, "This was an order to armed forces to incite a riot," adding, "'Break down the door and enter,' 'arrest the members of the National Assembly' are specific orders, so it would not be strange at all to immediately arrest President Yoon on an emergency basis."