Yoon's Issued 'Martial Law Note'... Choi Sang-mok "Submitted to Investigation Agency"

Presidential Office Delivered 'Note' to Cabinet Members on Martial Law Day
Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok "I Remember Content About Securing Fiscal Funds"

Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and Minister of Strategy and Finance, revealed that he submitted a note delivered by President Yoon Seok-yeol during the December 3 emergency martial law incident to the investigative authorities. Amid reports that Choi and Cho Tae-yeol, Minister of Foreign Affairs, received the note containing 'post-martial law measures,' there was an urgent inquiry in the National Assembly regarding the contents of the note.

The National Assembly's Planning and Finance Committee (PF Committee) focused on questioning Deputy Prime Minister Choi about the 'martial law note' during an urgent inquiry session on the afternoon of the 17th. Choi explained that he received a folded note from the presidential office staff just before the martial law declaration, but he put it in his pocket without reading it. Later, when convening an executive meeting, he realized the note was in his pocket and handed it over to Yoon In-dae, Deputy Minister of Strategy and Finance. Deputy Minister Yoon, who said he had read the note, recalled that it was about securing preliminary funds related to martial law.

Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and Minister of Strategy and Finance, is attending the full meeting of the Planning and Finance Committee held at the National Assembly on the 17th and responding to questions from lawmakers. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

When Choi Ki-sang, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "It is hard to believe that you did not read something containing the president's words," Deputy Prime Minister Choi responded, "At that time, I was opposed to martial law and had decided to resign." He added, "Therefore, I was only interested in market management and had no intention of opening it," and said, "From what the Deputy Minister told me, it seemed like measures premised on martial law." Choi also expressed a sense of responsibility for the current situation, saying, "I will finish managing the economy and step down from my position."

Deputy Prime Minister Choi also clarified that the Macroeconomic and Financial Issues Meeting (F4 Meeting · Finance 4), which he chaired immediately after the martial law declaration, was unrelated to the contents of the note. Jin Sung-jun, the Democratic Party's Policy Committee Chair, asked, "Did the document (note) instruct you to convene the F4 meeting?" to which Choi replied, "I convened the F4 meeting on my own judgment. It is not related to fiscal matters." The F4 meeting, attended by Deputy Prime Minister Choi, Lee Chang-yong, Governor of the Bank of Korea, Kim Byung-hwan, Chairman of the Financial Services Commission, and Lee Bok-hyun, Governor of the Financial Supervisory Service, was held for three consecutive days starting from the 3rd.