Suspended South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol authorised the use of lethal force during his failed attempt to impose martial law, according to a prosecutors’ report shared with media outlets on 28 December.
The 10-page document, part of the prosecution’s indictment of former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun, details Yoon’s alleged orders for military forces to storm parliament.
The report claims Yoon directed military commanders on 3 December 2023 to ensure parliament’s compliance by any means necessary, including lethal force.
Specifically, Yoon reportedly instructed Lee Jin-woo, head of the capital defence command, to breach the National Assembly. “Have you still not got in? What are you doing? Break down the door and drag them out, even if it means shooting,” Yoon is quoted as saying.
The report also includes an alleged conversation with General Kwak Jong-keun, head of the Defence Counterintelligence Command, where Yoon urged immediate action: “Quickly get inside the National Assembly and bring out the people inside the chamber, and break down the doors with an axe if necessary.”
Yoon’s actions have triggered significant political turmoil, leading to his impeachment by the National Assembly earlier this month.
The initial martial law declaration followed a budget dispute between Yoon’s ruling party and the opposition. The declaration was nullified in the early hours of 4 December after lawmakers rushed to parliament and unanimously voted it down, 190-0.
As military forces surrounded the National Assembly, troops reportedly scaled fences, smashed windows, and used helicopters to gain access to the building. The indictment also includes screenshots of messages exchanged between senior defence officials coordinating the operation.
Despite the nullification, Yoon allegedly expressed intent to reinstate martial law if necessary, telling Lee, “Even if it’s lifted, I can declare martial law a second or third time, so just keep going.”
The prosecutors’ report suggests that discussions about declaring martial law began as early as March 2023, revealing a longer-term strategy. Yoon’s lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, dismissed the allegations, claiming the report is “a one-sided account that neither corresponds to objective circumstances nor common sense.”
Former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun was arrested this month over his role in the failed martial law bid. Opposition lawmakers have called for Yoon’s immediate arrest, with Democratic Party member Kang Sun-woo referring to him as a “treasonous ringleader.”
The Constitutional Court of South Korea held its first preliminary hearing on 27 December to review the validity of Yoon’s impeachment. The court will also consider the fate of interim president Han Duck-soo, who was impeached for failing to finalise Yoon’s removal from office and prosecute him.
The allegations of authorising lethal force mark a grave chapter in South Korea’s political history, raising serious concerns about the abuse of military power and its implications for democracy. The court’s forthcoming rulings will be pivotal in resolving the crisis.
