Ex-military commanders testify against president

Ex Military Commanders Testify Against President

Kwak Jong-geun, former head of the Army Special Warfare Command, listens to lawmakers during a session on President Yoon Suk Yeol's alleged insurrection at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. Newsis

Kwak Jong-geun, former head of the Military Particular Warfare Command, listens to lawmakers throughout a session on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s alleged rebel on the Nationwide Meeting in Seoul, Tuesday. Newsis

Lt. Gen. Kwak says he was advised to ‚drag out‘ lawmakers from Nationwide Meeting
By Jung Min-ho

Former navy commanders testified in opposition to President Yoon Suk Yeol, Tuesday, with one claiming he was ordered to paralyze the Nationwide Meeting when martial regulation was imposed on Dec. 3.

Throughout a session held on the Meeting on Yoon’s alleged rebel try, Kwak Jong-geun, former head of the Military Particular Warfare Command, stated the president instantly advised him to pull lawmakers out of the Meeting constructing that day — an affidavit that goes in opposition to the claims of Yoon’s protection attorneys.

“The president advised me to ‘drag out the individuals inside’ over a secret telephone,” Kwak stated.

His remarks distinction with former Protection Minister Kim Yong-hyun’s denial of the accusation. Throughout a Jan. 23 listening to for Yoon’s impeachment trial on the Constitutional Court docket, Kim claimed that he instructed navy commanders to get “yowon” (brokers), not “euiwon” (lawmakers), out of the constructing whereas insisting that troops had been deployed there solely to “keep order.”

Kwak dismissed the claims as false.

“On the time of the telephone name, there have been no brokers contained in the constructing,” Kwak stated, including that brokers of the 707th Particular Mission Group had been despatched in afterward.

He additionally stated he had not been instructed to “keep order” or “shield residents” or advised the troops had been deployed to the Meeting simply “as a warning” — all claimed by the president’s facet.

He then denied allegations that he was testifying in opposition to the president, saying he was solely serving to to ascertain the reality.

President Yoon Suk Yeol closes his eyes during a hearing for his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, Tuesday. Newsis

President Yoon Suk Yeol closes his eyes throughout a listening to for his impeachment trial on the Constitutional Court docket in Seoul, Tuesday. Newsis

Following the Meeting session, two different former navy commanders — Yeo In-hyung, former head of the Protection Counterintelligence Command, and Lee Jin-woo, former head of the Capital Protection Command — in addition to Hong Jang-won, former first deputy director of the Nationwide Intelligence Service, spoke as witnesses at a listening to within the Constitutional Court docket.

Lee, who was indicted on fees of enjoying a serious position within the president’s martial regulation fiasco, refused to disclose any particular particulars about his name with Yoon — maybe due to his personal authorized dangers.

Lee, nonetheless, admitted that he obtained a telephone name from Yoon that day.

Throughout the prosecution’s questioning, Lee reportedly advised investigators that Yoon directed him to take away lawmakers from the Meeting by “firing weapons and breaking down doorways” if vital.

“I’ve been investigated in a felony case and within the technique of giving proof (admitting or denying) to the prosecution’s investigation … please perceive that (my responses) can be very restricted,” he stated.

Yoon’s protection staff has insisted that the president didn’t have any intention to disrupt the operation of the Meeting when he declared martial regulation and the decree banning all political actions was meant solely to function a “warning” to opposition lawmakers.

Exterior the courtroom, about 200 supporters of Yoon held a rally regardless of the freezing climate. Some individuals held indicators with messages resembling “Free the President” and “Impeachment Invalid.”

The courtroom is anticipated to ship its verdict inside 4 months on whether or not to uphold or dismiss the Meeting’s impeachment movement of Yoon over his resolution to declare martial regulation, which led to hours after lawmakers voted to nullify it.

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