“I’m An Incompetent Commander”: South Korea Military Leader On Martial Law Chaos

Kim Hyun-Tae, the head of South Korea’s elite 707th Special Missions Group, has publicly apologised for deploying troops to the National Assembly. The act sparked widespread public outrage and scrutiny following an emergency martial law declaration by President Yoon Suk Yeol on December 3.

During a press briefing at the War Memorial in Yongsan District, Central Seoul, Kim took full responsibility for sending soldiers to prevent lawmakers from entering the assembly, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.

“I was the one who ordered the soldiers to head to the National Assembly and break the windows to enter,” Kim said. He expressed deep regret, stating, “I am an incompetent and irresponsible commander. I pushed the unit to the brink. The troops are not at fault. If they are guilty of anything, it is following the orders of an incapable commander.”

Kim, who commanded 197 soldiers to confront barriers set up by those attempting to access the National Assembly, described the troops as “your sons and daughters who love this country” and labelled them as the “most pitiable victims” of former Defence Minister Kim Yong-Hyun, who resigned on December 4 — a resignation accepted by President Yoon the following day.

The political and military fallout from the emergency martial law, which lasted only six hours, has been significant. On December 8, military prosecutors sought emergency travel bans for 10 personnel, including Kim and Army Chief of Staff General Park An-su.

The government also imposed an overseas travel restriction on President Yoon, as prosecutors deliberate over potential charges of insurrection linked to his failed martial law attempt. This measure, confirmed by the Corruption Investigation Office on December 9, adds to the turmoil surrounding Yoon’s administration, according to CNN.

The sequence began with President Yoon’s announcement on December 3, which was met with nationwide protests. Demonstrators gathered outside the National Assembly, demanding Yoon’s resignation and defying the military order. The night culminated in lawmakers forcing their way past almost 300 troops stationed at the assembly and unanimously voting to annul the decree — an act that effectively overturned the president’s directive.