First Hearing of the National Assembly Special Committee... 'Yoon's Accompaniment Order Issued but... Ultimately Absent' (Comprehensive)

The National Assembly held the first hearing on the 22nd to investigate the truth behind the December 3 emergency martial law. However, the process was rocky from the start as key witnesses, including President Yoon Seok-yeol, either did not attend or refused to testify.

At the first hearing of the "Special Committee for the National Investigation on the Alleged Insurrection through the Declaration of Martial Law by the Yoon Seok-yeol Administration" held at the National Assembly on the 22nd, witnesses including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo took the oath. Former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min refused to take the oath. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

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At the first hearing of the "Special Committee on the National Investigation into the Charges of Rebellion through the Declaration of Emergency Martial Law under the Yoon Seok-yeol Administration," held at 10 a.m. that day, about 20 out of the 76 witnesses selected were absent.

Key figures involved in the martial law, including President Yoon Seok-yeol, former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, former Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In-hyung, and former Intelligence Commanders Noh Sang-won and Moon Sang-ho, did not attend the hearing.

In response, the special committee, led by the opposition party, issued a summons order for seven individuals, including President Yoon. These included former Minister Kim, former Commander Noh, former Reserve Colonel Kim Yong-gun, former Army Special Warfare Commander Kwak Jong-geun, former Commander Moon, and Army 2nd Armored Brigade Commander Gu Sam-hoe. Special Committee Chairman Ahn Kyu-baek stated, "Since President Yoon appeared at the Constitutional Court yesterday, it is incomprehensible that he attends some places but not others," and issued the summons order through a vote. In response, Park Jun-tae, a member of the People Power Party, opposed the move, saying, "It is inappropriate to forcibly summon the president while he is under detention," and called the issuance of the summons order "an attempt to embarrass the president."

Those who received the summons order were required to attend the special committee hearing by 2 p.m. that day. Refusal to comply with the summons or deliberately avoiding receipt of the summons order could lead to prosecution and imprisonment for up to five years. However, since the summons order itself lacks enforceability, President Yoon and others did not appear in the afternoon either.

Some who attended the hearing refused to testify or take the oath. Former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min drew attention by refusing to take the oath at the start of the hearing. When asked by Basic Income Party lawmaker Yong Hye-in about his actions during the emergency martial law, he consistently replied, "I will not testify." He also refused to confirm whether he had instructed Fire Agency Chief Heo Seok-gon to cut off power and water to media outlets immediately after the martial law.

Opposition lawmakers planned to focus their questioning during the hearing on those involved in key duties of the emergency martial law, probing the premeditation, preparation stages, and execution process. The day before, members of the special committee from both ruling and opposition parties visited the underground bunker B1 of the Army Capital Defense Command for an on-site investigation. During the investigation, it was discovered that former Commander Yeo had ordered to check whether about 50 politicians could be detained in the bunker during the martial law. Meanwhile, President Yoon claimed at the third hearing of the Constitutional Court impeachment trial the previous day that he had not ordered the arrest of politicians. The special committee holds that verification of the facts is necessary at the hearing.

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