Yoon Appears as Witness and Issues Apology On 18 December 2025, former President Yoon Suk‑yeol entered a military court in central Seoul as a witness, marking his first visit to the former presidential compound in about a year and coinciding with his 65th birthday [1]. He publicly apologized to senior commanders Kwak Jong‑keun, Yeo In‑hyung and Lee Jin‑woo, describing their presence as “pitiful” yet acknowledging they acted under his orders [1]. Yoon’s testimony placed him alongside the defendants facing charges for their roles in the failed martial‑law attempt [1].

Yoon Defends Short‑Term Martial Law Objective Yoon asserted that the martial‑law declaration was never meant to endure beyond a half‑day or, at most, a single day [1]. He framed the measure as a “alarm bell” to expose what he called the “blatant” misconduct of the opposition party, not a permanent suspension of democratic processes [1]. The former president emphasized that the short duration was intended solely to highlight a perceived national peril.

Opposition Impeachment Move Cited as Trigger According to Yoon, the immediate catalyst for ordering martial‑law preparations was the opposition’s drive to impeach the state auditor chief on the night before the decree [1]. He portrayed this political maneuver as the decisive moment that compelled him to act, linking the attempted impeachment directly to his decision to mobilize the military [1].

Yoon Limits Responsibility to Defense Minister Yoon clarified that only former Defense Minister Kim Yong‑hyun received instructions to review or prepare for the martial‑law implementation [1]. He denied giving any orders to other officials, suggesting a narrowly confined chain of command for the operation [1]. This claim seeks to isolate responsibility within a single cabinet member.

Security Reshuffle Views and Pity Statement While expressing sorrow for senior military and police officials now on trial, Yoon warned against neutralizing institutions vital to national security, specifically referencing the Defense Counterintelligence Command reshuffle [1]. He argued that such entities should remain functional despite their involvement in the martial‑law bid [1].