Jeong Cheong-rae Criticizes, "If a Member of Parliament is an Agent, Is Martial Law a Game?"

Kim Yong-hyun Claims,
"I Ordered to Pull Out 'Agents,' Not 'Members'"

Former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun appeared as a witness at the 4th hearing of President Yoon Seok-yeol's impeachment trial held at the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 23rd, responding to direct questioning by President Yoon. Photo by Yonhap News Agency, provided by the Constitutional Court

Former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun claimed that during the December 3 emergency martial law, he ordered to pull out 'agents' instead of 'members of the National Assembly' from the parliament, prompting Jeong Cheong-rae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, to post a satirical message about it.

On the 24th, Jeong posted on his Facebook, "If members are agents, is martial law a game?"

Jeong then uploaded a photo of himself wearing a suit and sunglasses with the title "National Assembly Agent Jeong Cheong-rae." He wrote, "During the Lunar New Year holiday, I will be responsible for the peace of the Republic of Korea and your safety. Happy New Year." He also added, "From National Assembly Agent Jeong Cheong-rae."

Jeong Cheong-rae, Democratic Party of Korea member, Facebook

Earlier, on the 23rd, former Minister Kim appeared as a witness at the 4th hearing of President Yoon’s Constitutional Court impeachment trial and denied allegations that he ordered to pull out members of the National Assembly inside the parliament during the December 3 emergency martial law, stating that he ordered to pull out agents instead. When asked by Jang Soon-wook, a lawyer from the National Assembly side, "Did you answer that you ordered to pull out agents, not members?" he replied, "Yes."

Kim explained, "There was a chaotic situation with military personnel agents and National Assembly staff pushing and pulling each other," adding, "I thought if something went wrong, there could be a crush accident, which would harm both the public and the soldiers, so I ordered to pull them out first."

Criticism from opposition parties followed Kim’s remarks. Park Ji-won, a Democratic Party member, criticized on Facebook, "This is National Assembly Agent Park Ji-won," calling the coordinated statements of "King Lawbreaker" (a pun combining law and slippery fish) Yoon Seok-yeol and Kim Yong-hyun, already proven by the "King (王)" mark on their palms, a low-quality comedy that makes one doubt their intellectual level.

Park Joo-min, also from the Democratic Party, posted on his Facebook with the caption "Should I really change my business card?" along with a photo of himself labeled as 'Eunpyeong-gap National Assembly Agent.'