Airborne Brigade Commander Testifies "Yoon Ordered Lawmakers Dragged Out"... Yoon Directly Refutes

Repeated Testimony Presented at the Sixth Trial

On the day of the 12·3 Martial Law, a commander of the Army Airborne Unit who was dispatched to the National Assembly testified once again that he received an order from Kwak Jonggeun, then Commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, stating that "the President said to break down the door with an axe if necessary and drag the lawmakers out." In response, former President Yoon Sukyeol was given the opportunity to speak and directly refuted the statement.

Former President Yoon Sukyeol is attending the 6th trial for the charge of "leader of rebellion" at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the morning of June 9, 2025. Photo by Joint Press Corps

Lee Sanghyun, former Commander of the 1st Airborne Brigade of the Army Special Warfare Command (Brigadier General), appeared as a witness at the 6th trial for former President Yoon's charge of leader of rebellion, held on June 9, 2025, at the Criminal Agreement Division 25 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Ji Guyoun). He reiterated his testimony from the previous session. At the trial on May 26, Lee also testified that he received instructions from former Commander Kwak to "drag the lawmakers out" and "break down the door with an axe if necessary."

During cross-examination, former President Yoon's attorney pointed out that in past media interviews, Lee had used the term "higher-ups" rather than "President," and asked, "Isn't it true that you did not hear the word 'President'?" In response, Lee stated, "I heard that Commander Kwak had a video conference with the higher-ups," and added, "When I asked who gave such an order, I heard the word 'President.'" He continued, "Right after the call, when I spoke with the (subordinate Special Forces) battalion commander, I conveyed, 'The President gave this order.' If I had said 'higher-ups,' I would not have been able to say it was a presidential order, since I wouldn't have known who it was."

When Yoon's side repeatedly asked, "Usually, in the Special Forces, doesn't 'higher-ups' refer to the Army Chief of Staff, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or the Minister of National Defense?" Lee replied, "What I heard was the actual wording 'President,' but I used 'higher-ups' as a general term," and added, "I don't think it's appropriate to ask who the specific person was."

When Yoon's side suggested, "You didn't actually hear from former Commander Kwak that it was a presidential order, and aren't you making a different statement now to avoid criminal punishment?" Lee strongly objected, saying, "I have told everything I know, and I promised my subordinates, 'If my subordinates are punished, I will die.' I have never lived my military life telling lies."

Former President Yoon then personally stepped forward to directly refute Lee's testimony. Yoon stated, "The video conference in the Ministry of National Defense's command and control room was only held immediately after the declaration of martial law, where the Minister addressed commanders nationwide and gave closing remarks at the end. There was never a video conference with individual units in the middle." He continued, "I do not know whether the Special Warfare Commander received such instructions during a video conference with the higher-ups, and the claim that 'higher-ups' in the military means the President is clearly a lie. In the military, 'higher-ups' refers to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Ministry of National Defense."

While former President Yoon had previously expressed his position during opening statements at the 1st and 2nd trials, he had mostly conveyed his opinions through his attorneys once witness examinations began, rarely responding directly to individual testimonies. However, as testimonies continued regarding who gave the order to drag lawmakers out of the National Assembly, he appears to have personally intervened to deny his involvement.