Kim Sun-ho, the Deputy Minister of National Defense (acting Minister), held an urgent briefing on December 6th last year at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan, Seoul. He announced that the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff would not accept the second martial law request. To his left was Cho Chang-rae, Director of the Ministry of National Defense Policy, and to his right, the first person was Won Chun-hee, Director of the National Defense Intelligence Headquarters, and Lee Seung-oh, Director of Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Policy Director of the Ministry of National Defense is third in rank after the Minister and Deputy Minister, and the Director of the National Defense Intelligence Headquarters supervises the Defense Counterintelligence Command, while the Director of Operations at the Joint Chiefs oversees operational units. Their presence at the press conference is interpreted as expressing that the military would not accept or implement martial law even if declared. Yonhap News.
The Ministry of National Defense reaffirmed on the 3rd that it would not accept any martial law decree, even if President Yoon Seok-yeol, after the Constitutional Court’s impeachment ruling, returns to office and requests it again. This is a notably different stance from the Ministry’s previous practice of not responding to domestic politics-related questions or hypothetical scenarios.
On the morning of the same day, in a regular press briefing, Jeon Ha-gyu, the spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, was asked, “What is the Ministry’s position if President Yoon Seok-yeol returns and requests a second declaration of martial law?” He replied, “The stance that Deputy Minister (acting Minister) Kim Sun-ho mentioned in the initial phase of the 12/3 martial law situation remains unchanged.” When asked if their stance remains identical to not accepting the second martial law request, Jeon confirmed, “Yes.”
Acting Minister Kim Sun-ho, through his statement on the Ministry’s position regarding the martial law on December 6th, three days after the 12/3 martial law concerns, declared that “even if there is a martial law requirement, the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff will absolutely not accept it.” At that time, Acting Minister Kim informed all military branches and directly subordinate units of the Ministry of Defense with directives emphasizing that “movement of troops is only possible with the approval of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and national units (units under direct Ministry control) can only move with the approval of the acting National Defense Minister.” Even though the President serves as the Commander-in-Chief, he cannot mobilize troops or command them effectively without the assistance of the Minister of National Defense or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In light of the impending impeachment verdict, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced plans to enhance the surveillance posture against North Korea.
Lee Seong-jun, public affairs officer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, responded to a question during the regular briefing at the Ministry asking if the military would enhance its alert status and other measures, indicating, “We will take necessary actions and plan to operate in a heightened surveillance mode.”
It has been informed that by 11 a.m. on the 4th, before the impeachment ruling, the Joint Chiefs of Staff plan to expand the operation of thermal observation devices (TOD) and reconnaissance equipment for North Korean surveillance. Acting Minister Kim Sun-ho is reportedly scheduled to preside over a key commanders’ meeting across the military following the impeachment verdict.