[Exclusive] Pres. Yoon considered martial law in November

[Anchor]

Hello everyone.

This is KBS News at 9.

There have been statements suggesting that the martial law could have been declared not this month, but a month ago, in November.

President Yoon Suk Yeol reportedly showed a willingness to implement martial law before the APEC summit held in mid-November.

This is a report by Kim Yong-jun, who has exclusive coverage of the statement from the head of the Counterintelligence Command Yeo In-hyung.

[Report]

About a month before the declaration of martial law, President Yoon expressed strong dissatisfaction with the opposition's repeated proposals for impeachment and the push for a special investigation.

[President Yoon's press conference/Nov. 7: "Impeachment motions are being abused, and the special investigation law has already been thoroughly investigated countless times. Excessive use of summons authority is also an issue."]

This was a week before the APEC summit held in Peru.

According to KBS's investigation, the prosecution has already secured statements indicating that President Yoon showed a willingness for martial law at that time.

This is the statement from Yeo In-hyung, the head of the Counterintelligence Command, who has been arrested on charges of insurrection and other offenses.

Yeo stated to the prosecution, "I understand that President Yoon conveyed his intention to declare emergency martial law to then-Minister Kim Yong-hyun around early last month," and "I understand that he sought Kim's opinion on whether to implement martial law even if he did not attend APEC."

Yeo heard about President Yoon's intentions from former Minister Kim, who also reportedly stated that there was a strong will to carry out the plan in November.

The prosecution is also said to have secured a statement that Yeo first heard about President Yoon's mention of martial law at the end of last year.

At that time, Kim Yong-hyun, the head of the security office, and others were present, and it has been understood that the attendees conveyed to President Yoon that it would not be possible to pass the cabinet meeting, leading them to think it was an unfeasible matter.

Ultimately, martial law was declared on Dec. 3, and the prosecution is reportedly looking into whether it was postponed considering overseas trips and the U.S. presidential election.

This is KBS News, Kim Yong-jun.