Jonggeun Kwak, former Commander of the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command, is seen with a stern expression at the National Assembly National Defense Committee plenary session on December 10 last year. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
Jonggeun Kwak, former Commander of the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command, testified that during the martial law, he received instructions from former President Yoon Sukyeol via a secure phone, telling him to "break down the door if necessary and drag out the lawmakers inside."
The Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Agreement Division 25 (Presiding Judge Ji Guyoun) held a continued trial on the 30th regarding former President Yoon’s charges of leading an insurrection and abuse of power. After being re-detained in July, former President Yoon had been absent from 16 consecutive hearings, but appeared in court for the first time in four months.
Former Commander Kwak maintained the same testimony he had previously given at the National Assembly and the Constitutional Court after the martial law. When the special prosecutor’s team for the insurrection asked, “Did former President Yoon instruct you to ‘break down the door if necessary, go inside, and drag everyone out’ at that time?” he replied, “Yes.”
He added, “I remember clearly because former President Yoon was watching the YTN broadcast and said it seemed the quorum had not been reached.”
Former Commander Kwak stated that he spoke with former President Yoon twice-at 11:36 p.m. on December 3 last year and again at 12:31 a.m. on the 4th-and that he received such instructions during the second call.
He said, “I spoke so frequently with former Defense Minister Kim Yonghyun that I can’t remember exactly what was said, but the conversation was along similar lines.” However, former Commander Kwak clarified that former President Yoon did not instruct him to “use an axe.”
He also explained that while he did ask Kim Hyuntae, former Colonel and Commander of the Army Special Warfare Command’s 707th Special Mission Group, if it was possible to cut the power, this was not done under the instruction of either former President Yoon or former Minister Kim.
He said, “The voting at the National Assembly building operates on electricity, so I wondered if cutting the power would prevent it. Since nothing else was working, I just floated the idea to see if that was even possible.”
When asked, “Did you tell former Commander Kim that there must not be more than 150 lawmakers present?” he replied, “I asked, ‘They say there must not be more than 150. Is it possible to enter? Can it be done?’ and former Commander Kim said, ‘It shouldn’t be forced.’”
Former Commander Kwak also testified that former President Yoon had been mentioning “emergency powers” since October last year.
Regarding a dinner meeting at the presidential residence on the evening of October 1 last year with former President Yoon, former Minister Kim, former Defense Security Command chief Yeo Inhyeong, and former Capital Defense Command chief Lee Jinwoo, he said, “Former President Yoon never directly used the term ‘martial law,’ but from that time, I recall discussions about locations to secure, emergency powers, and special methods.”
Former Commander Kwak further testified that at another meeting with the same group on November 9 last year, former President Yoon remarked, “There is no way to resolve this except by special means.”
When asked, “You said ‘special means’-did you understand that as martial law?” he replied, “It would be a lie to say otherwise. That’s how it could only be interpreted in my mind.”
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