The commander of South Korea’s 707 Special Mission Unit, Kwak Jong-keun, has revealed that he defied an order from former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to forcibly remove lawmakers from the National Assembly during President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived declaration of martial law earlier this week, Bloomberg reports.
In an interview Friday on the YouTube channel of an opposition lawmaker, Kwak stated that he refused to comply with Kim’s order to deploy troops to remove lawmakers from the parliament building. Kwak argued that such an action would be illegal, leaving soldiers legally liable for their actions.
“I judged that it was clearly illegal to drag out the lawmakers, and troops who carry out the task would naturally be held legally responsible later,” Kwak explained.
He confirmed that he knowingly acted insubordinately, instructing his troops not to enter the assembly building.
Kwak expressed remorse for initially following the martial law decree, apologizing to both the public and his troops. He explicitly stated that he would refuse any similar order in the future.
President Yoon’s surprise announcement of martial law on Tuesday sent shockwaves through South Korea and internationally. The decree was swiftly revoked hours later following its unanimous rejection by parliament. Opposition lawmakers have since initiated impeachment proceedings against President Yoon, with a vote anticipated by Saturday. The 707th Special Mission Unit, known for its counter-terrorism operations, falls under Kwak’s command.
