297 Martial Law Troops 'Seize Election Commission'... Kim Yong-hyun "To Assess the Need for Fraud Election Investigation"

Martial Law Declared, Election Commission Occupied Within 6 Minutes
Hwang Kyo-an Claims "Martial Troops Deployed Due to Election Fraud"

Amid claims by some far-right YouTubers that President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law to investigate allegations of election fraud in the recent general election, former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun stated that the Central Election Commission was occupied for the purpose of investigating election fraud allegations.

In a messenger interview with SBS on the 5th, former Minister Kim explained the reason for sending martial law troops to the Central Election Commission as "to assess the necessity of investigating election fraud allegations." This is interpreted as an intention to forcibly investigate the election fraud allegations through martial law troops, rather than through investigative agencies.

On the 5th, the National Assembly Secretariat released closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage showing the operational situation of the martial law troops entering the National Assembly building after the declaration of martial law on the night of the 3rd. The photo shows the martial law troops breaking through the resistance of National Assembly staff and entering the second-floor corridor of the National Assembly building. National Assembly Secretariat.

Since the declaration of martial law on the 3rd, martial law troops were deployed to the National Assembly and the Central Election Commission. Notably, martial law troops were deployed to the Central Election Commission just six minutes after the declaration. The number of martial law troops deployed to the Election Commission was also greater than those sent to the National Assembly. According to data submitted by the Election Commission, 297 martial law troops occupied the Commission, exceeding the 280 deployed to the National Assembly.

Kim Yong-bin, Secretary General of the Election Commission, stated at an emergency hearing of the Administrative and Security Committee held at the National Assembly on the same day, "Around 10:30 PM on the 3rd, about 10 martial law troops were deployed inside the Election Commission building." He added, "These 10 martial law troops confiscated the mobile phones of five night duty staff members at the Commission, monitored their actions, and controlled access. An additional 100 martial law troops deployed mainly conducted guard operations in the first-floor lobby and occupied the building for approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes."

Previously, claims had spread among some conservative figures and far-right YouTubers that martial law troops were deployed to the Election Commission to investigate 'election fraud allegations' related to the recent general election.

Former Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn wrote on his Facebook on the same day, "It is said that the first place martial law troops entered was the Central Election Commission. They also confiscated the mobile phones of five night duty staff members at the Commission," adding, "I hope this becomes the signal flare to uncover the election fraud of the April 10 general election."

In subsequent posts, he repeated similar claims, stating, "The concentrated dispatch of martial law troops to the Election Commission is significant." He also said, "The reason opposition party lawmakers, despite their low standards, have been able to run rampant in the National Assembly is because they were elected through election fraud," and "The records of this election fraud remain intact at the Election Commission."

He further added, "I am curious about the large box that martial law troops carried out of the Gwacheon Central Election Commission building. I hope its contents are the main server, hard disks, or related documents of the Election Commission."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.