After the Dec. 3 martial law declaration last year, courtroom testimony emerged that former President Yoon Suk-yeol told Cabinet members, "Once you actually do it, it's nothing special."
The 33rd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Jin-gwan) held a continued hearing on the 10th in the case against former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on charges including aiding the leader of an insurrection, perjury, and drafting and using false official documents. At the hearing, Song Mi-ryung, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, who appeared as a witness, testified that after the martial law declaration, former President Yoon said something to the effect of, "Once you actually do it, it's nothing special. It's nothing at all."
Minister Song also served as agriculture minister under the previous Yoon Suk-yeol administration and, after the transfer of power to the Lee Jae-myung administration, remains in office as the only minister to be reappointed.
Minister Song also described the situation on the day of the martial law declaration when former President Yoon returned to the main reception room at the presidential office after declaring martial law, saying, "(The former president) came in and said things like, 'Bring something to drink,' and after sitting down, he also said words along the lines of, 'Once you actually do it, it's nothing special. It's nothing at all.' Those remarks stand out in my memory."
She went on, "I remember he also told former Prime Minister Han to attend schedules or events he was supposed to go to in his stead," adding, "I think he issued several instructions to each ministry."
The special counsel investigating the insurrection case asked whether she clearly remembered former President Yoon telling former Prime Minister Han at the time, "For the time being, I think you will have to go to the events I'm supposed to attend instead of me," and Minister Song answered, "I remember."
The special counsel pressed again, asking, "Is it correct that he used the phrase 'for the time being'? If it was temporary or a warning, wouldn't that conflict with the word 'for the time being'?"—meaning it would contradict Yoon's claim of "warning-type martial law." In response, Minister Song said, "There was no mention that it was a one-off."
Minister Song also testified about the mood in the presidential office just before the martial law declaration. She said at the time, "Because it wasn't a situation to support it, I thought everyone was opposed." She continued, "When the (Choi Sang-mok) deputy prime minister said before the declaration, 'Are you going to end 50 years of public service like this?' (Han Duck-soo) the prime minister quietly said, 'I'm against it too,'" adding, "From then on, I consistently thought everyone present was opposed."
She added, "When the president began by saying, 'I know you are all very worried,' Jo Tae-yeol, then the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said, 'We are trying to serve you well,'" and continued, "I thought there had been many discussions before I arrived and that people had expressed opposition to the president."
At this, the court asked, "You said everyone (the Cabinet members) was opposed, but in reality martial law was declared, and it was lifted only after the National Assembly resolved to dissolve it. Doesn't that mean (the Cabinet members) didn't have an influence and only opposed it in their hearts?"
In response, Minister Song, in tears, said, "If I had known it was a martial law situation, of course I wouldn't have gone (to the Cabinet meeting)." She added, "I consistently did not think it was a Cabinet meeting," and said, "The president came in and spoke for two to three minutes in a way that was closer to a notification than a meeting, then left, and martial law was declared."