Armed troops wait within the premises of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, in the early hours of Dec. 4, following President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law. Yonhap

The actions of military officers who resisted what they viewed as unconstitutional orders during the chaos of the Dec. 3 martial law declaration are drawing renewed attention, highlighting how many, despite their duty to obey, took a stand against unjust commands.

Rep. Lee Gi-heon of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea said in a press release on Dec. 9 that "on the night of Dec. 3, when President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, there were counterintelligence officers and personnel who resisted the orders in various ways."

He cited cases brought to his attention. The military counterintelligence command had been designated as a key unit to be deployed to the National Election Commission (NEC) under martial law.

Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun has said the decision to deploy martial law troops to the National Election Commission was made "to assess the need for investigations into alleged fraud in the general election" in which opposition parties scored landslide wins over the ruling People Power Party.

The soldiers of the key investigative unit exhibited passive behavior before, during, and after their deployment to the NEC.

Kim Dae-woo, the commander of the Counterintelligence Command, is said to have summoned over 100 investigators prior to the declaration of martial law to assign tasks related to entering the commission.

When Major Choi expressed disbelief at the orders, Kim allegedly beat him severely, forced him onto a bus, and sent him to the commission, instructing him to secure the servers.

Despite the coercion, soldiers continued their resistance. Upon arriving at the NEC, they delayed executing the orders, which they believed were illegal, by engaging in trivial activities, such as eating instant noodles at a nearby convenience store.

During this time, the National Assembly passed a resolution demanding the lifting of martial law, which allowed the deployed troops to withdraw without incident. Their defiance rendered the operation ineffective.

Rep. Lee said, "The fact that no items, including servers, were removed from the NEC was due to the passive resistance of the unit members who essentially refused orders."

Troops withdraw from the National Assembly in the early hours of Dec. 4, following a National Assembly resolution to lift martial law. Yonhap

'Betrayal against leadership palpable'

Lee also highlighted other acts of defiance, including a counterintelligence officer who turned back at a highway rest stop, deeming the deployment order unlawful, and a department head who instructed the withdrawal of all personnel from a joint task force without informing their commander immediately after the martial law resolution passed.

Separately, accusations against former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who allegedly sought to provoke a localized conflict with North Korea to justify martial law, have resurfaced.

It is reported that Kim verbally attacked Adm. Kim Myung-soo, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), for refusing an order to target North Korean trash balloon launch sites. "Get rid of this clueless guy," Kim allegedly said during the confrontation.

Rep. Lee said, "The martial law crisis might have unraveled due to this initial breakdown, as evidenced by the sidelining of (Defense Minister) Kim during crucial moments."

According to Lee, five days before martial law was declared, the defense minister ordered retaliatory strikes against the origin of the North Korean balloons if warning shots were fired, contradicting established defense protocols.

But others opposed the plan, citing risks of escalation and potential harm to civilians.

"The chain of command has been irreparably damaged, and the betrayal felt among rank-and-file personnel against their leadership is palpable," Lee said.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.