Kim Yonghyun Asked, "Can Troops Be Redeployed?" Even After National Assembly Voted to Lift Martial Law

Stated in the Special Investigation Headquarters' Indictment
To the Response "It Would Be Difficult," Kim Said "Outnumbered"
Also Expressed Appreciation to the Capital Defense Command and Defense Counterintelligence Command

It has been revealed that former Defense Minister Yonghyun Kim asked the military leadership whether troops could be redeployed to the National Election Commission (NEC) even after the National Assembly had voted to lift martial law.

According to the legal community on January 4, the Special Investigation Headquarters for Martial Law (Special Headquarters, headed by Park Sehyun, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office) included this information in the indictment against former Minister Kim on charges of participating in major insurrection-related duties. The Special Headquarters is investigating the December 3 Martial Law incident and has detained former Minister Kim for questioning. On December 3 last month, when President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law, troops were deployed to the NEC at around 10:30 p.m., immediately after the declaration.

Former Defense Minister Yonghyun Kim (second from the left) is responding to a lawmaker's question during a comprehensive audit of all supervised agencies by the National Defense Committee held at the National Assembly on October 24 last year. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

According to the prosecution’s investigation, even after the National Assembly passed the proposal to lift martial law at 1:03 a.m. on the 4th, President Yoon did not immediately announce the lifting of martial law. Instead, from 1:16 a.m. for about 30 minutes, he held a meeting in the underground decision support room (Decision Room) of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with former Minister Kim, Army Chief of Staff Park Ansu, Second Deputy Director of the National Security Office In Seonghwan, and Presidential Secretary for National Defense Choi Byeongok. Subsequently, at around 2:13 a.m., former Minister Kim asked Kwak Jonggeun, Commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, whether troops could be redeployed to the NEC.

When Commander Kwak replied that it would be difficult, former Minister Kim reportedly told military commanders, "Our military has carried out its duties in obedience to the orders of the President, the Commander-in-Chief. Although we did not achieve the results we wanted due to being outnumbered, I believe we have done all that we could." The phrase "being outnumbered" refers to the idiom meaning "the few cannot withstand the many." Commander Kwak has also been indicted and detained by the Special Headquarters on charges of participating in major insurrection-related duties and abuse of authority.

Former Minister Kim went on to say, "I am grateful to everyone who completed their duties under difficult circumstances: the Capital Defense Command, Defense Counterintelligence Command, Army Special Warfare Command, Ground Operations Command, as well as the staff of the Command and Control Center here, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Thank you for your hard work," according to the investigation.

President Yoon then announced the lifting of martial law at around 4:26 a.m., and at the subsequent Cabinet meeting, all 13 attendees unanimously agreed to lift martial law. The Ministry of National Defense later announced that all troops deployed to the National Assembly and the NEC had returned to their original units.