The Democratic Party has accused former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun of attempting to incite martial law by issuing provocative military orders related to North Korean balloon activities. According to Democratic Party Representative Lee Ki Hun, Kim allegedly instructed Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Kim Myung Soo to “fire warning shots and strike the point of origin if balloons filled with waste are launched from North Korea.”
Lee claimed on Saturday that this directive, reportedly given last week before martial law was declared, was met with resistance. When Chairman Kim opposed the order, Kim Yong Hyun is said to have reprimanded him harshly. The operations chief of the JCS also reportedly objected, preventing the directive from being implemented.
Lee further alleged that preparations for martial law had been underway since November, citing materials created by the Defense Security Command. These “martial law command and joint investigation headquarters operation reference materials” included legal frameworks, organizational structures, and strategic considerations for implementing martial law and integrated defense measures.
Lee criticized former Defense Security Command Chief Yeo In Hyung’s assertion that he first learned of martial law from media reports, calling it a “blatant falsehood.” He claimed Yeo had been informed well in advance, as the materials were created and reported to him before November 30.
“The meticulous planning detailed in these materials proves that the Defense Security Command had been preparing for martial law long before its declaration,” Lee argued, adding that the evidence contradicted Yeo’s denial.
Lee also alleged that President Yoon Suk Yeol criticized Kim Yong Hyun in the early hours of December 4 in the Joint Chiefs of Staff combat control room for failing to arrest or detain National Assembly members. He claimed Yoon even mentioned the possibility of a second martial law declaration. While Kim denies any such orders from Yoon, Lee asserted that evidence contradicts his denial.
In response to the allegations about orders to strike the source of North Korean balloons, a Joint Chiefs official dismissed the claims, stating, “There was no instruction from former Minister Kim Yong Hyun to strike the origin if North Korean waste balloons were detected, so the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs never refused such an order.”
The claims have sparked further controversy over the lead-up to the martial law declaration, intensifying scrutiny of the actions and motives of top military and political leaders.
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