Jung Min-ho has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2012, mostly covering social and political issues. He currently belongs to the Politics & City Desk where he covers topics such as health, labor and human rights. Prior to joining the team, he was responsible for covering North Korea and sports. His article about a biosecurity breach of Middle East respiratory syndrome won him an award from the Korea Science Journalists Association in 2016. He is also the co-author of the book, "Medical Pioneers of Korea" (2019). He served as the head of the international relations committee at the Journalists Association of Korea from 2021 to 2023.
Martial law soldiers sent to buildings of election commission, liberal YouTuber
Martial law troops enter the building of the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. According to the National Election Commission, Thursday, more than 100 troops armed with rifles and other military equipment were sent to its headquarters at Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. Newsis
By Jung Min-ho
The buildings of the National Assembly were not the only target of martial law troops during the hours that followed President Yoon Suk Yeol’s order Tuesday night.
According to the National Election Commission on Thursday, more than 100 troops armed with rifles and other military equipment were sent to its headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, between 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. the next day.
The troops broke into night-duty rooms and several other offices in that building, according to the commission officials. They then confiscated the mobile phones from the officials on duty. But they all withdrew in an hour after lawmakers voted to nullify the martial law decree at 1:01 a.m.
Troops were also sent to the election management institution’s office at Gwanak District in Seoul and to its training facility in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province.
No casualties or violent clashes occurred, according to the commission.
Speaking to lawmakers at the Assembly, Kim Yong-bin, the commission's secretary general, said he had been uninformed of the deployment plan.
“About 10 martial law troops entered and confiscated the mobile phones of five officials on duty and restricted anyone from entering or leaving the building,” he said. “About 100 other troops, who had been deployed later at about 12:30 a.m. on Dec. 4, were conducting security operations on the first-floor lobby.”
This revelation suggests that Yoon’s martial law plot, proposed by former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, aimed to take control of at least one additional critical institution other than the parliament building.
Kim Ou-joon, a YouTube channel operator who is popular among liberals, also said that he, too, was targeted by martial law troops.
Kim, a strong Yoon critic who runs “Gyeomson is Nothing,” said that about 10 troops were seen standing at around 1:00 a.m. Wednesday outside the building where his show is recorded, accusing them of restricting people from entering there.
Speaking to former KBS journalist Lee Jae-seok in a YouTube video released on Wednesday, Kim said that the troops were there to arrest him. But he did not provide any evidence.
“I’ve been informed that I am banned from leaving the country and that an arrest warrant has been readied,” Kim said, adding that he had traveled far overnight to hide himself.
Kim was the former host of the TBS radio show “News Factory” from 2016 to 2022, during which he gained fame as one of the most influential voices among liberal politicians.