South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared on 6 February, 2025, for the sixth hearing of his impeachment trial, facing accusations of declaring illegal martial law and ordering armed troops into the National Assembly.
The hearing, held at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, featured key testimony that directly implicated Yoon in an alleged insurrection attempt, which the president has repeatedly denied.
The controversy dates back to 3 December 2024, when Yoon declared emergency martial law amid political tensions.
Within hours, military forces, including special operations troops, entered the National Assembly, allegedly following Yoon’s orders to prevent lawmakers from gathering a quorum of 150 members needed to revoke the decree.
Witnesses and evidence presented in court have intensified scrutiny over Yoon’s actions and their legality.
During the hearing, Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun, former chief of the Army Special Warfare Command, testified that Yoon specifically ordered the removal of lawmakers from the National Assembly to disrupt their efforts to lift the martial law.
“I obviously thought and understood the part about dragging people out from inside as referring to lawmakers because there were no operation agents inside the main parliamentary building at the time,” Kwak said, recalling a phone call from Yoon on the night martial law was imposed.
The testimony aligned with Kwak’s previous statements to parliament but conflicted with former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun’s claim that Yoon had ordered the removal of agents, not lawmakers.
Yoon rejected Kwak’s account, arguing that the distinction between agents and lawmakers was clear and accusing Kwak of orchestrating a plot against him.
“Had I made such an order, it would be customary for me or the minister to check up on the situation at least once or twice before the vote wraps up,” Yoon stated.
Throughout the hearing, other military officials provided testimony shedding light on the chaotic implementation of martial law.
Col. Kim Hyun-tae, head of the Army Special Warfare Command’s 707th Special Mission Group, testified that his instructions were limited to sealing off and securing the National Assembly.
Kim clarified that his troops had received no orders to physically remove lawmakers. “The mission I received was to seal off and secure [the National Assembly],” he stated. He added that even if such an order had been given, it would have been impractical to execute.
Kim also described a call with Kwak during the operation, in which Kwak asked whether it was possible to prevent more than 150 lawmakers from assembling.
This number was significant because it represented the minimum quorum needed to vote down the martial law declaration.
Evidence presented during the trial included video footage showing military helicopters landing at the National Assembly and hundreds of armed soldiers entering the building, sparking clashes with citizens.
The prosecution’s indictment accused Yoon of instructing military commanders to forcibly enter the building, allegedly ordering the use of “guns” and “axes” to break through the doors if necessary. Yoon denied giving such extreme directives.
Adding further complexity to the trial, Park Chun-sup, senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, testified that one factor behind the martial law declaration was the opposition party’s unilateral passage of a budget that Yoon’s administration had opposed.
Park particularly cited budget cuts related to the “Blue Whale” prospect, a high-risk economic project, as a key issue.
The impeachment trial follows the National Assembly’s vote on 14 December 2024, to impeach Yoon on charges of constitutional violations and insurrection.
Yoon was arrested on 15 January 2025, becoming South Korea’s first sitting president to face detention. He was formally indicted on 26 January and remains in custody during the trial, which the Constitutional Court has up to 180 days to conclude.
The next hearings are scheduled for 11 and 13 February. Public and political reactions to the trial remain divided, with protests calling for both Yoon’s immediate conviction and his release.
As proceedings continue, the nation’s constitutional stability and military oversight remain at the forefront of public debate.
