Soldiers are 'victims' of martial law.

(CLO) Colonel Kim Hyun-tae, commander of South Korea's 707th Special Forces Brigade, admitted on Monday that he received orders from the Defense Minister to prevent lawmakers from entering the National Assembly to stop a vote rejecting martial law.

Colonel Kim stated that his unit carried out the raid on the National Assembly building on December 3rd on orders from former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. However, he emphasized that the force's actions were merely in compliance with superior orders.

Soldiers depart after the South Korean parliament passed a motion demanding the lifting of martial law declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, South Korea, on December 4, 2024. Photo: Yonhap

"We are all victims of exploitation by former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. The members of the 707th Brigade are innocent. They were only carrying out their assigned duties," Kim said at a press conference outside the Ministry of Defense in Seoul.

Colonel Kim also described that when the soldiers landed on the Parliament grounds to erect a protective barrier around the main building, they were stopped by Parliament staff, creating an unexpected confrontation.

President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on December 3rd, citing the need to protect the country from threats from North Korea and "anti-state elements." However, the order was quickly overturned after the National Assembly convened an emergency meeting, despite the lockdown, and declared the emergency measure invalid.

Currently, Yoon is facing a criminal investigation into his role in ordering martial law. The impeachment vote against him on December 7 in the opposition-led National Assembly failed, plunging South Korea into a deep constitutional crisis.

Although he avoided impeachment, President Yoon had previously stated that he entrusted his fate to the ruling PPP party. However, he did not offer to resign.

Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun was arrested on Sunday on charges related to ordering the imposition of martial law and the deployment of troops to the National Assembly.

PPP leader Han Dong-hoon announced on Sunday that President Yoon would not be involved in foreign affairs or state administration, and that leadership would instead be transferred to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and the PPP party.

However, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik called the decision unconstitutional: "The president's power is not the personal property of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Transferring power without going through a clear constitutional process is a violation of the law."

The opposition, led by the Democratic Party (DP), announced it will once again submit a motion to impeach President Yoon on December 14th.

This event not only raised concerns about the violation of state power but also revived painful memories of South Korea's past period of military rule.

Hong Hanh (according to Reuters, Yonhap)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/chi-huy-dac-nhiem-han-quoc-binh-linh-la-nan-nhan-cua-vu-thiet-quan-luat-post324734.html