Army special warfare commander says he defied order to drag out lawmakers | Yonhap News Agency
en.yna.co.kr
SEOUL, Dec. 6 (Yonhap) -- The chief of the Army Special Warfare Command said Friday he def...

[How does a democracy hero look like?]

Archived version

The chief of the South Korean Army Special Warfare Command said Friday he defied an order from then Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to drag out lawmakers from the National Assembly building during martial law operations this week.

Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun gave the response when asked by opposition lawmakers what instructions he received from his superiors when troops were sent into the National Assembly following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law Tuesday.

“I was ordered by then Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to pull people inside the National Assembly building outside,” the commander said at the unit’s headquarters.

“I did not fulfill that task even though I knew it would be insubordination because based on my judgment, dragging lawmakers out was clearly an illegal act,” he said.

When asked what orders he gave to his unit, the commander said he prohibited giving live ammunition to individual soldiers as he witnessed “unjustified scenes” during the deployment.

  • tardigrada@beehaw.orgOP
    2·
    14 days ago

    ‘We had to stop this’: Woman who grabbed South Korean soldier’s gun speaks to BBC

    A chaotic night in South Korea produced scenes most thought were consigned to the nation’s history.

    One in particular has caught the attention of many: a woman confronting soldiers who were sent to block lawmakers from entering the National Assembly.

    Footage of Ahn Gwi-ryeong, 35, a spokesperson for the opposition Democratic Party, grabbing the weapon of a soldier during the commotion has been shared widely online.

    “I didn’t think… I just knew we had to stop this,” she told the BBC Korean Service. Ahn made her way to the assembly building as soldiers descended on it, shortly after the president declared martial law across South Korea.