At the Ministry of National Defense audit by the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly held on the morning of the 13th, a clash broke out over the "Civilian-government-military joint special advisory committee for overcoming insurrection and designing future defense (advisory committee)," which was established under the direct authority of Minister Ahn Gyu-baek. The opposition took issue with the fact that, even though the insurrection charge has not been finalized, a government ministry officially put "insurrection" in writing, saying it violated political neutrality, while the ruling party strongly pushed back. Minister Ahn answered regarding the Dec. 3 emergency martial law situation that "it can only be defined as an insurrection."
Seong Il-jong, Chairperson of the National Defense Committee (People Power Party lawmaker), pointed out the name of the advisory committee installed under the direct authority of the Minister that morning. Chairperson Seong said, "The insurrection charge must be judged under Article 87 of the Criminal Act, and the trial is still underway," adding, "Political parties can say whatever they want, but the executive branch can use it officially only after a determination is made on whether it violates the law." He added, "The Constitutional Court made a determination regarding illegal martial law, and until the result of the criminal trial comes out, the executive branch should be careful about its terminology."
Minister Ahn stressed that even without a court ruling, the Dec. 3 emergency martial law situation does constitute an insurrection. Ahn said, "Even in February this year, with bipartisan agreement, we wrote the Dec. 3 emergency martial law as an 'insurrection,'" adding, "Martial law can oversee the administrative and judicial branches, but it cannot deal with the legislative branch. Nevertheless, it trampled on the National Assembly and violated the Constitution." Ahn continued, "It can only be defined as an insurrection, and there is no change in that view." During Ahn's answers, shouting broke out between ruling and opposition lawmakers.
The ruling party strongly pushed back. Kim Byung-joo, a lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea, raised a point of order, saying, "(The criminal trial) is to judge how much the insurrectionist forces were involved in the insurrection," raising his voice. Hwang Hee, a Democratic Party lawmaker, said, "The content of the martial law was to illegally enter the National Assembly and the National Election Commission," adding, "If one usurps power beyond one's authority, that is insurrection." He added that the crime was broadcast live in real time, and that one cannot say it is "not a crime" just because the trial is not over.
At the audit that day, there was also a standoff between the ruling and opposition parties over the Lee Jae-myung administration's North Korea policy line. Han Ki-ho, a People Power Party lawmaker, criticized the current administration's North Korea policy line by citing as an example that Ukraine reduced its forces by relying on external powers and was invaded. Han said, "China, Russia and North Korea have formed an alliance and are threatening us," adding, "Can peace be maintained by begging them? Ukraine has proven that it cannot."
Minister Ahn answered, "Even so, I think we should persuade and understand North Korea together with the international community for (inter-Korean) peace." Ahn also said, regarding the criticism that the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Unification appear to have different positions on restoring the Sept. 19 military agreement, that the ministries would "work organically so that we can present 'one voice.'"