Seoul, Jan 23 (IANS) South Korea’s former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun on Thursday downplayed allegations implicating President Yoon Suk Yeol in his short-lived imposition of martial law, speaking as a witness for the president during his impeachment trial.
Kim, who is being held at a detention centre for his alleged role in the December 3 declaration of martial law, appeared at the Constitutional Court to testify during the trial’s fourth hearing, which was also attended by Yoon.
When asked by Yoon’s legal team whether it was true that Yoon ordered the mobilisation of a “small number” of troops against Kim’s advice to mobilise up to 60,000 in order to enforce martial law, Kim replied, “Yes.”
“It was different from my thinking but because it was President Yoon’s order, I respected it and prepared for it,” he said. “I had doubts that martial law could be enforced so I asked the president something to the effect of ‘Is this martial law?'”
During the hearing, Yoon denied claims last month’s martial law was a failure.
“It was not a failed martial law, it just ended a little sooner than expected,” he said. “The National Assembly swiftly demanded the lifting of martial law, and as soon as the resolution calling for an end to martial law was passed, I immediately summoned and ordered former Minister (Kim) and Army Chief of Staff (Gen. Park An-su) to withdraw.”
Yoon claimed that his order to mobilise troops was “legal” and that the military had acted in accordance with it.
Kim is accused of recommending martial law to Yoon and drafting the decree.
He rejected allegations that Yoon ordered troops to storm the National Assembly building in a bid to stop lawmakers from voting down the decree, saying, “He meant they should watch closely for people approaching to disrupt the maintenance of order and allow selective entry.”
The former minister claimed he ordered troops to the headquarters of the main opposition Democratic Party and a polling agency but withdrew the plan at Yoon’s orders.
He also said he deleted a portion of the decree after Yoon saw the draft and took issue with imposing a curfew because of the inconvenience it would cause to the people.
Kim further acknowledged that he gave a note to Finance Minister and current acting President Choi Sang-mok instructing him to form an “emergency legislative body” on the day of the martial law declaration but noted it was given by one his staff and written by him, not Yoon.
“I asked the finance ministry to secure reserve funds as there could be unexpected budget outlays after the enforcement of martial law,” he said, Yonhap news agency reported.
Yoon is being held at a separate detention centre after a Seoul court granted investigators a warrant for his formal arrest Sunday.
It was his second time appearing at the trial after being carried in a convoy from the Seoul Detention Centre in Uiwang, south of the capital.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Yoon denied ordering troops to pull out lawmakers from the National Assembly during the martial law bid.
The impeached president’s legal team has said Yoon will be present at all remaining hearings if possible.
–IANS
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