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The chief of the South Korean Army Special Warfare Command said Friday he defied an order from then Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to drag out lawmakers from the National Assembly building during martial law operations this week.
Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun gave the response when asked by opposition lawmakers what instructions he received from his superiors when troops were sent into the National Assembly following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law Tuesday.
“I was ordered by then Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to pull people inside the National Assembly building outside,” the commander said at the unit’s headquarters.
“I did not fulfill that task even though I knew it would be insubordination because based on my judgment, dragging lawmakers out was clearly an illegal act,” he said.
When asked what orders he gave to his unit, the commander said he prohibited giving live ammunition to individual soldiers as he witnessed “unjustified scenes” during the deployment.
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