By Hyunsu Yim and Ju-min Park
SEOUL (Reuters) – The commander of South Korea’s particular forces that stormed parliament final week after a martial legislation declaration mentioned on Monday he was ordered to dam lawmakers from coming into the chamber to stop a vote to carry the emergency measure.
Colonel Kim Hyun-tae, the commanding officer of the 707th Particular Missions Group, informed reporters he took all accountability for his troops’ raid on parliament however mentioned he was appearing underneath orders from the defence minister.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who’s now a topic of a legal investigation, declared martial legislation on Dec. 3 solely to rescind the order inside hours after parliament met in defiance of a safety cordon to vote it invalid.
Yoon survived an impeachment vote in a opposition-led parliament on Saturday which plunged South Korea right into a constitutional disaster.
Yoon mentioned forward of the vote he was entrusting his destiny to the ruling occasion, however he didn’t supply to resign.
Kim mentioned his unit landed on the grounds of parliament with orders to cordon off the principle constructing to stop lawmakers from coming into however was met with legislative workers members inside who blocked their entrance.
“We were all victims who were used by the former defence minister, Kim Yong-hyun,” the commander informed reporters exterior the defence ministry in Seoul.
“The members of the Group are not guilty. Their only guilt is that they followed the orders of their commander,” he mentioned, combating again tears.
The previous defence minister was arrested on Sunday over his position in declaring martial legislation and ordering the deployment of troops to parliament.
The chief of Yoon’s Folks Energy Social gathering, Han Dong-hoon, mentioned on Sunday that Yoon could be excluded from international and different state affairs, and the occasion and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would handle authorities affairs.
Nationwide Meeting speaker Woo Received-shik mentioned it was unconstitutional to delegate presidential authority until the president is impeached.
The principle opposition Democratic Social gathering, which led the failed impeachment movement on Saturday, mentioned it might increase the movement once more.
(This story has been corrected to say South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol could be excluded from state affairs in paragraph 10)
