Attorney Kim Yong-hyun's Team "Proposed Martial Law to Han Deok-soo First"
Prime Minister's Office "Never Reported Before Hearing from Yoon"
The legal team of former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, who was detained due to the martial law situation, claimed that the martial law plan was reported in advance to Acting President and Prime Minister Han Deok-su. Acting President Han denied the claim as false and announced plans for legal action.
The Prime Minister's Office stated on the 26th, "As Acting President Han Deok-su has testified multiple times in the National Assembly, he did not receive any report related to the martial law plan until around 9 p.m. on the 3rd at the Yongsan Presidential Office, when he directly heard the martial law declaration plan from President Yoon Seok-yeol." They added, "We clearly state that Acting President Han intends to take all legitimate measures, including legal action, against these false claims."
The legal team of former Minister Kim held a press conference that day and said, "According to the Martial Law Act, the Minister of National Defense and the Minister of the Interior and Safety must propose martial law through the Prime Minister. Regarding the proposal of martial law, former Minister Kim stated that he reported in advance to Prime Minister Han Deok-su and followed the procedure of proposing it to the President."
If former Minister Kim, who is accused of engaging in important duties related to rebellion, proposed martial law to Acting President Han before reporting to President Yoon, then Acting President Han would also find it difficult to avoid charges related to the martial law situation and rebellion. However, Kim’s legal team explained, "It is difficult to specify the exact timing of the prior proposal of martial law."
It is known that President Yoon summoned some Cabinet members to Yongsan just before martial law was declared, and after the quorum for the Cabinet meeting was met, he forcibly enacted the martial law order. It was effectively a 'notification,' and the Cabinet members stated in the National Assembly that there were serious procedural flaws. This is why Acting President Han announced his intention for 'legal action.'
After Acting President Han’s rebuttal, the legal team further explained, "The meaning of reporting to the Prime Minister in advance and proposing it to the President is that just before the Cabinet meeting where the President was present, the martial law was discussed with the Prime Minister first, then the President came in to propose and deliberate on the martial law."
In other words, the report was made at the Cabinet meeting convened immediately before the martial law declaration, and there was no prior discussion of the martial law plan with the Prime Minister before that time.
Meanwhile, former Minister Kim’s legal team also revealed that the draft of the martial law proclamation included a 'curfew for the public' clause, but President Yoon personally ordered its deletion. Since the purpose of declaring martial law was 'to sound an alarm to the National Assembly,' they emphasized that the content controlling the general public was deleted.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
