[Inside Chodong] What Fault Do the Soldiers Deployed to the National Assembly Have?

Recently, I read an article that deeply saddened me. It reported that an increasing number of soldiers from the Special Warfare Command are applying for discharge following the martial law incident. For those who have lived with pride, it must have been difficult to accept the fact that they were mobilized as martial law troops. However, letting them go so easily is unreasonable.

Last year, not many citizens likely held the military, especially the soldiers deployed on the ground, responsible for the martial law incident. What fault did they have? This martial law was one they did not want. On the contrary, they played a part in preventing the martial law. The biggest misjudgment by President Yoon Suk-yeol and the martial law military command was the assumption that "once martial law is declared, the military will follow our control." The Special Forces and 707 Special Mission Group that entered the National Assembly showed reluctance to take control. The martial law troops were seen on live video avoiding physical contact with civilians and aides as much as possible. Although they were soldiers receiving orders, it was difficult for them to carry out commands as "democratic citizens in uniform." The Special Forces field commanders blocked additional troop deployments, and agents from the Defense Counterintelligence Command neglected unjust orders by eating ramen at convenience stores or wandering around places like the Jamsu Bridge.

The troops deployed to the National Assembly are South Korea’s elite units. If you are curious about their capabilities, you can watch their training footage available on YouTube and other platforms. During the May 17 emergency martial law, only 98 troops were deployed to the National Assembly, yet they succeeded in the lockdown. According to the Special Investigation Headquarters of the Prosecutor’s Office, this time, the military forces deployed to the National Assembly under martial law included 466 Special Forces soldiers and 212 from the Capital Defense Command, totaling 678 troops. Despite nearly seven times the elite forces being deployed, they failed to seize control of the National Assembly. Had the martial law succeeded, these soldiers might have been punished for insubordination like Colonel Park Jeong-hoon of the Marine Corps. They knew this but still did not act actively.

The uniformed soldiers played a significant role in preventing chaos in our society. Now, in this grave situation of martial law, our society must protect these "democratic citizens in uniform" who made wise decisions. The greatest concern regarding their discharge is the weakening of national defense. Training elite soldiers requires considerable time and money. The vacancies left by discharged Special Forces soldiers inevitably create a gap until new personnel are trained. Especially, the know-how and sense of duty to the nation they possess are difficult to replace with just time and money. Ultimately, passively watching their discharge benefits only the North Korean military and increases insecurity in our national defense.

For the sake of lessons for our society, measures regarding these soldiers are necessary. During the December 3 martial law, it was hard to find generals who actively disobeyed orders. During the December 12 military coup, generals such as Jang Tae-hwan, Commander of the Capital Security Command, Jeong Byeong-ju, Commander of the Special Warfare Command, and Kim Jin-gi, Military Police Chief of the Army Headquarters, actively resisted the new military regime. However, this time, there has been no report of such generals emerging. Of course, the biggest reason is that the martial law was declared by the President, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, but the tragic fates of generals who resisted the new military regime after the December 12 coup likely discouraged active resistance this time.

As I have repeatedly emphasized, one reason for the failure of this martial law was the judgment of the soldiers deployed on the ground. If we condemn them, they may hesitate to resist if another unjust martial law is declared in the future. That must be prevented. Soldiers serve with pride. It is time for our society to protect their pride by properly concluding this martial law and looking toward the future.