Park Chun-seop, the presidential office's chief economic adviser, testified on the 6th that he did not see President Yoon giving a 'note' to Choi Sang-mok, who was the then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance, on the day of the emergency martial law on December 3.
President Yoon is reported to have handed a one-page note to Choi Sang-mok, the then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance, on the day of the emergency martial law on December 3. It was said that this note contained instructions, such as 'secure the reserve funds sufficiently and report as soon as possible, completely block all funds related to the National Assembly currently in operation, and prepare a budget related to the National Emergency Legislative Organization.' The opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, argue that the National Emergency Legislative Organization is an institution replacing the National Assembly.
On that day, Park appeared as a witness for President Yoon in the impeachment trial. The defense team for President Yoon asked Park, 'Have you ever seen (President Yoon) giving a note to (the then) Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, which was presented by the National Assembly?' In response, Park said, 'No.'
When the defense team for President Yoon asked, 'Were you unaware of its existence?' Park replied, 'That's correct.' When asked, 'Did you receive any relevant information from the president or the Deputy Prime Minister prior to the emergency martial law?' he answered, 'Not at all.'
President Yoon's side denies the opposition's claims regarding the note. Earlier, during the third trial date on the 21st of last month, President Yoon stated, 'I have never given (the note to Deputy Prime Minister Choi), and I only learned through articles that such a memo had come out long after the martial law was lifted.'
Additionally, regarding the opposition's claim that the 'National Emergency Legislative Organization' is intended to replace the National Assembly and is akin to the National Defense Emergency Countermeasure Committee (KUKBO) created during the Chun Doo-hwan regime, he noted, 'If the National Emergency Legislative Organization contains content that denies the existence of the National Assembly, it wouldn't make sense for (the note) to be given to the Minister of Strategy and Finance. The opposition refers to the National Emergency Legislative Organization as KUKBO, but if that is the case, it is nonsensical to discuss it with the Ministry of Strategy and Finance.' He also mentioned, 'I understand that there is a finance subcommittee within KUKBO.'
On the 23rd of last month, Kim Yong-hyun, former Minister of National Defense, who appeared as a witness at the fourth trial date of President Yoon's impeachment trial, claimed that he had drafted a note related to the National Emergency Legislative Organization. The former minister stated that the note's content indicated, 'The budget preparation related to the National Emergency Legislative Organization is to establish an organization within the Ministry of Strategy and Finance to perform emergency financial legislative authority and allocate the necessary budget.'
However, Choi Sang-mok, the acting president, continues to assert that he received the note from President Yoon. On the morning of the hearing, when asked by Rep. Chu Mi-ae of the Democratic Party of Korea, 'Did (President Yoon) call you and say to refer to this (note)?' he replied, 'I was called the Minister of Strategy and Finance, and someone next to me handed it to me as reference material.' However, acting President Choi stated that he did not immediately verify the note on the day of the emergency martial law.
Meanwhile, President Yoon attended the trial on that day; however, he did not enter the trial room from the start of Park's examination as a witness until the trial ended.