'No one knew': PM, ruling party, aides say they were unaware of Yoon's plan

A passerby reads a special edition of a newspaper covering President Yoon Suk Yeol's public address and announcement lifting martial law near Jonggak Station in central Seoul on Wednesday morning. (Yonhap)

High-ranking political officials, including ruling party members, the prime minister and presidential aides, were not notified in advance of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration, according to local media reports Wednesday.

According to media sources, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and the 19 other Cabinet members were reportedly unaware of Yoon’s decision to declare martial law, and only learned of the declaration during an emergency Cabinet meeting convened shortly before the official proclamation.

During this emergency Cabinet meeting, a majority of the 19 Cabinet members reportedly spoke “strongly against” the declaration of martial law. Despite this, however, Yoon is said to have pushed ahead with the proclamation.

“The president’s conviction about the necessity of the proclamation, as outlined in his address, was so adamant that no one was able to change his mind,” one Cabinet member was quoted as saying. Following the six-hour-long martial law declaration, Cabinet members reportedly tendered their resignations to Han on Wednesday.

On Tuesday night, Yoon declared martial law, accusing the state’s opposition of paralyzing the government with “anti-state activities plotting rebellion.”

Yoon’s decision came after the opposing Democratic Party railroaded a downsized budget bill in the parliamentary budget committee and submitted impeachment motions against a state auditor and the chief prosecutor.

Members of the ruling People Power Party were also reportedly unaware of the declaration before the official proclamation.

Moments after the proclamation was made late Tuesday, party members were quoted in local media reports saying that they were “shocked” by what they heard in the news and that they “weren’t given a heads up or an announcement” beforehand.

People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon and Floor L eader Choo Kyung-ho were also reportedly not notified.

Following Yoon’s declaration, Choo told reporters in front of the National Assembly late Tuesday that he was not told of Yoon’s intentions and learned of the president’s actions “through news reports.” Han also released a statement calling the move “wrong” and vowing to “block it” together with the people.

It has been reported that until just an hour before Yoon’s emergency special address nationwide at 10:28 p.m. on Tuesday, Yoon’s aides at the presidential office were also unaware of his plans. The presidential aides were ordered to immediately return to the Presidential Office around 9:30 p.m., unaware of not only Yoon’s plan to declare martial law but even the existence of a nationwide address that would take place an hour later.

Following a unanimous vote by the National Assembly at 1 a.m., Wednesday, calling for the repeal of martial law, Yoon announced the lifting of martial law at around 5 a.m.

Five hours after the announcement, all senior Yoon aides, including Presidential Chief of Staff Chung Jin-suk, National Security Adviser Shin Won-shik and Chief of Staff for Policy Sung Tae-yoon, offered to resign.