AsiaToday reporter Han Dae-ui

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) is facing allegations of coercing testimony from former Special Warfare Commander Kwak Jong-geun to frame President Yoon Suk-yeol's martial law as a "rebellion." As evidence of this coercion emerges, public opinion is forming that the impeachment trial against President Yoon should be effectively halted. Kwak's revelation that he was instructed to remove members of the National Assembly during the martial law period became a crucial clue for the public to judge the situation immediately after the martial law. However, with the release of a recording suggesting that the DP coerced or pressured Kwak's testimony, concerns are rising that this was a "conscience declaration" orchestrated for a "rebellion frame."

According to an exclusive report by TV Chosun on Thursday, Kwak confided in an acquaintance on the evening of December 5 last year, the day before his first revelation on DP lawmaker Kim Byung-joo's YouTube channel, that he was asked to make a "conscience declaration." The phone call recording reveals that someone was pressuring Kwak to frame the situation as a "rebellion."

In response, the acquaintance who spoke with Kwak told TV Chosun that, given the context of the conversation, "it wouldn't be from the People Power Party." This implies that the DP manipulated Kwak's key testimony. There have also been testimonies that the main opposition party coerced Kwak and other subordinates. On the morning of the YouTube appearance, Kim Hyun-tae, the commander of the 707th Special Mission Group, who attended a pre-meeting with Kwak, mentioned the possibility of DP officials' coercion during a National Assembly hearing on Feb. 17. Commander Kim stated, "Kim Byung-joo gave me a list of expected questions, and he wrote about ten lines with a pencil," expressing concerns that these might have been altered. This aligns with media reports that Kim Byung-joo provided the expected questions the evening before meeting Kwak. In response, the ruling party raised the possibility that Kwak's testimony was manipulated and called for an immediate investigation into the "rebellion plot" against President Yoon.

"Following the manipulation of Hong Jang-won's memo, it has been revealed that Kwak Jong-geun's testimony was also manipulated. The main culprit of the contamination of key evidence is the Democratic Party," said Kwon Young-se, the interim leader of the People Power Party (PPP), at an emergency committee meeting held at the National Assembly on Thursday.

Sung Il-jong, chairman of the National Defense Committee, and other PPP defense committee members issued a joint press statement, claiming, "The DP used Kwak by threatening him for their impeachment plot. The DP threatened Kwak, saying, 'If you don't say what we tell you, we will kill you,' and 'Even though we know the circumstances, we will still frame you for rebellion.'"

Park Soo-min, the PPP floor spokesperson, stated, "Kwak's testimony has been a key basis for the impeachment trial. However, it has been confirmed that he was pressured the day before his YouTube appearance, and he even expressed frustration, saying, 'No one listens to me.' The prosecution must thoroughly investigate who is behind the threats."

The ruling party also emphasized that this is a clear impeachment plot, and the Constitutional Court should immediately dismiss the impeachment and investigate the DP officials involved in the manipulation.