Yoon: "Martial Law Is a Value-Neutral Legal Means... Using a Knife Doesn't Automatically Mean Murder"

Former President Yoon Sukyeol argued during the second hearing of his criminal trial on the 21st that "martial law is, in itself, value-neutral and is merely a legal means available to the president." He reiterated his claim from the first hearing that the emergency martial law was a "messaging martial law" intended as a warning to the opposition and others.

Former President Yoon Sukyeol is attending the second formal trial on charges of leading a rebellion at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-dong on the 21st. April 21, 2025 Photo by Joint Press Corps

On this day, during the second hearing on charges of leading a rebellion, presided over by Judge Ji Guyoun of the 25th Criminal Division at the Seoul Central District Court, former President Yoon stated as follows. He said, "A knife can be used to cook food, gather firewood in the mountains, perform surgery on sick patients, or commit crimes such as threats or assault. If you are to try this from the perspective of rebellion, it is not a simplistic equation that using a knife automatically constitutes murder."

He continued, "Is it acceptable to paralyze only the National Assembly permanently or for a considerable period? All constitutional institutions must be neutralized and seized simultaneously, and it must be proven that this was a praetorian coup intended to disrupt the constitutional order in a dictatorial manner and establish long-term dictatorship. Martial law is merely one means to achieve this."

Former President Yoon also said, "No one was hurt, and there was no bloodshed. From the outset, this was taken into account by not arming the personnel and deploying only a small number of troops." He added, "When the country is in a state of emergency, the only way for the president to declare such a situation is through emergency martial law."

He further stated, "If this is to be considered a destruction of constitutional order, then the political plan, the plan for seizing power, and fundamentally, how the military was intended to be used to achieve these goals must be thoroughly examined for this trial to truly uncover the facts about the crime of rebellion." He concluded, "I believe the order of issues to be addressed in this trial should proceed with sufficient consideration of the points raised by the defense."

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