During Martial Law, Yoon Claimed No Live Ammunition, Prosecutors Say "Over 57,000 Rounds Deployed"

Armed Circumstances Revealed in Indictment of Former Minister Kim Yong-hyun

It has been confirmed that the soldiers mobilized during the 12·3 emergency martial law were armed with live ammunition totaling 57,735 rounds.

Armed martial law troops are attempting to enter the National Assembly building in Yeouido, Seoul, in the early morning of the 4th of last month, as President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 4th, Yonhap News reported that the 83-page indictment of former Minister Kim Yong-hyun, submitted by the office of Kim Seung-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, to the Ministry of Justice, contained specific details showing that the martial law troops were dispatched to the scene carrying rifles, pistols, and live ammunition. According to the indictment, the Army Special Warfare Command deployed the largest amount of live ammunition during the martial law.

Colonel Lee Sang-hyun, commander of the 1st Airborne Brigade, who was ordered by Special Warfare Commander Kwak Jong-geun, dispatched 140 troops to the National Assembly at around 11:57 p.m. on the day of martial law, loading 550 rounds of 5.56mm rifle ammunition and 12 rounds of 9mm pistol ammunition into his command vehicle. At around 12:45 a.m. the next day, to be used by subordinate battalions in case of emergency, 23,520 rounds and 26,880 rounds of 5.56mm rifle ammunition were loaded onto transport vehicles and prepared for immediate supply. The prosecution also revealed that the 707 Special Mission Unit loaded 960 rounds of 5.56mm rifle ammunition and 960 rounds of 9mm pistol ammunition onto 12 helicopters and deployed 95 troops to the National Assembly.

The 3rd and 9th Airborne Brigades, which were dispatched to the National Election Commission, were also confirmed to be armed with live ammunition. A battalion commander who received orders from the brigade commander to seize control of the National Election Commission instructed 138 troops to carry personal rifles and 10 rounds of blank ammunition in their ammunition pouches. The live ammunition was sealed and stored in boxes in the battalion commander's vehicle. Another battalion commander armed 118 troops individually with military gear (special warfare uniforms, ballistic helmets, bulletproof vests, face masks, personal firearms), and a follow-up group of 22 troops carried blank ammunition, live rounds, and smoke grenades loaded onto a 2.5-ton truck.

Furthermore, the prosecution stated that the Capital Defense Command was armed not only with pistols and rifles but also with sniper rifles, shotguns, flash and sound grenades that disrupt vision and hearing, and slug rounds for shotguns. In particular, there were indications that HP-type slug rounds (special rounds that expand inside the human body causing severe damage) were used.

An officer under Commander Lee Jin-woo of the Capital Defense Command dispatched 16 members of the anti-terror special mission unit to the National Assembly at around 11:10 p.m. on the day of martial law, equipping them with 15 rifles, 15 pistols, 1 sniper rifle, 1,920 rounds of 5.56mm standard ammunition, 320 rounds of 5.56mm tracer rounds, 540 rounds of 9mm standard ammunition, 30 slug rounds, 30 shotgun shells, 10 flash and sound grenades, and 360 rounds of 5.56mm blank ammunition. Other units under the Capital Defense Command also deployed troops armed with 11 rifles, 9 pistols, 1 drone jamming gun, 975 rounds of 5.56mm standard ammunition, 330 rounds of 9mm standard ammunition, and 330 rounds of 5.56mm blank ammunition near Gate 1 of the National Assembly.

The Capital Defense Command Military Police Unit entered near the National Assembly carrying 9 rifles, 9 pistols, 1 sniper rifle, 10 taser guns, 525 rounds of 5.56mm standard ammunition, 363 rounds of 9mm standard ammunition, and 40 rounds of 7.62mm sniper ammunition. Moon Sang-ho, commander of the Intelligence Command, who received orders to seize control of the National Election Commission, instructed eight major-level officers to prepare 10 rounds of live ammunition per person. Ten personnel, including the head of the Intelligence Command’s Planning Department, departed for the National Election Commission at around 8:30 p.m. on the day of martial law carrying a total of 100 rounds of live ammunition and magazines.

When all the live ammunition they carried is combined, it exceeds 57,000 rounds. However, since the indictment does not specify the exact number of rounds in some cases, there are opinions that the actual amount of live ammunition mobilized during the martial law was much greater.

This contradicts the claims made by President Yoon Seok-yeol’s side. The president’s camp has consistently maintained that the martial law troops were unarmed. Seok Dong-hyun, a lawyer close to President Yoon, said on the 30th of last month, "On that day, the martial law troops were all unarmed, in other words, they went without live ammunition loaded, so what kind of order would there be to 'shoot even if necessary'?" He also claimed on the 19th of last month that "fewer than 300 soldiers who were not armed with live ammunition went to the National Assembly."