Commander Kwak Jong-geun said he did not comply with the order
Special warfare commander Kwak Jong-geun speaks to Democratic lawmaker Kim Byung-joo during the latter’s protest visit to the command on Dec. 6, 2024. (still from YouTube livestream)
The head of South Korea’s Special Warfare Command said Friday that immediately after the declaration of martial law, he had received orders from Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun “to go into the plenary chamber and drag lawmakers out of the National Assembly,” but that he “did not obey, fully aware that this was insubordination.”Kwak Jong-geun shared the story during an interview with Democratic Party lawmakers Kim Byung-joo and Park Sun-won, who were visiting the command’s headquarters in protest on Friday. Their interview was broadcast live on YouTube. Kwak also said that he had been ordered to take control of the National Assembly and secure the National Election Commission and the “News Factory,” a media outlet. He was also told “not to supply live ammunitions” to the troops being dispatched to the National Assembly and elsewhere and to “take caution in maneuvers” at the time. By Shin Hyeong-cheol, staff reporter Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
