Yoon at the Constitutional Court, Truth Game with Close Aides

Appearing at the Fourth Impeachment Hearing Today
Face-to-Face with Former Minister Kim Yonghyun, His Closest Aide
Testimony on Pre-Martial Law Discussions... The Key Issue: 'Martial Law Proclamation Order No. 1'

President Yoon Suk-yeol will appear on the 23rd at the 4th hearing of the Constitutional Court impeachment trial to face former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, who will testify as a witness. This will be their first face-to-face meeting since Kim was urgently arrested by the prosecution on December 8 last year. Attention is focused on what the two will say regarding the preparation and contents of the critical issue, the ‘Martial Law Proclamation Order No. 1,’ which will determine whether President Yoon will be dismissed.

Before President Yoon ran for the presidential election, he and former Minister Kim were on brotherly terms, addressing each other as ‘hyungnim’ (older brother) and ‘aunim’ (younger brother). Kim is a year senior to Yoon at Chungam High School. Rising from the first head of the Presidential Security Service to Minister of National Defense, Kim was considered one of President Yoon’s closest aides and confidants. The two also led the process of plotting martial law. Kim is expected to testify from the witness stand about when the martial law preparations began and what discussions he had with President Yoon before the proclamation of martial law.

The key point is whether the part of the ‘Martial Law Proclamation Order No. 1’ that restricts ‘activities of the National Assembly and political parties’ was directed by President Yoon. It has been revealed that Kim himself drafted the document. President Yoon’s side claims, “Kim copied the wording directly from a past example when the president had the power to dissolve the National Assembly, and President Yoon overlooked the wording error due to carelessness.” However, Kim’s side argues, “There seems to be a misunderstanding. Of course, President Yoon reviewed the entire document.” Judging by this alone, both sides appear to be shifting responsibility onto each other. If Kim maintains this stance, it could serve as unfavorable evidence against President Yoon, as it would hold him directly responsible for violating the constitution. Legal circles speculate that there is a possibility President Yoon might directly question Kim.

Meanwhile, many of President Yoon’s claims conflict with testimonies from witnesses at the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Internal Insurrection, which is currently in session. Former First Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service Hong Jang-won and former Army Special Warfare Command Commander Kwak Jong-geun have repeatedly given testimonies contradicting President Yoon’s statements made at the 3rd hearing of the Constitutional Court impeachment trial. For example, President Yoon denies ever saying ‘drag the lawmakers out,’ but former Commander Kwak stated, “It is true that he said to pull them out.” Former Deputy Director Hong also said, “President Yoon said, ‘Arrest them all this time and clean everything up.’” For President Yoon, this means engaging in an uncomfortable but high-stakes ‘truth game’ with his former aides and close associates over the truth of the martial law incident.

Yonhap News