707th commander recounts chaotic martial law deployment

[Anchor]

The commander of the 707th Special Mission Group learned about the martial law situation while heading home and described how urgent the situation was, even to the point of using a navigation system to understand the layout of the National Assembly.

Based on this testimony, reporter Kim Yong-jun has reconstructed the process of the unit's deployment and return.

[Report]

On the day of the martial law, the commander of the 707th Special Mission Group received orders to board a UH-60 helicopter when it was deployed and began planning training exercises.

Accordingly, Colonel Kim intended to conduct helicopter deployment training after an emergency troop assembly training around 7:50 PM, but the Special Warfare Commander issued a standby order.

After 10 PM, as training restrictions were assessed, Colonel Kim ordered the troops to return and prepare to go home, but shortly after, he learned about President Yoon's address on TV.

Around 10:31 PM, just after the announcement of martial law, Colonel Kim received a call from the commander.

The commander asked if they could deploy immediately, and upon Colonel Kim's affirmative response, he was told, "Quickly prepare to deploy to the National Assembly; 12 helicopters are coming."

Kim gathered the troops and headed to the helicopter landing zone, but they had not arrived yet.

Meanwhile, he received orders to blockade the National Assembly's main building and offices. Not knowing the layout of the National Assembly, he used a navigation app to locate key areas.

Around 11:20 PM, Kim boarded the first helicopter and landed in the National Assembly courtyard about 30 minutes later, where he and his troops engaged in a scuffle inside the main building, breaking windows.

Kim mentioned that he encountered Democratic Party member Ahn Gyu-baek and stated that they did not take any actions other than attempting to seal off the area.

[Kim Hyun-tae/Colonel/Commander of the 707th Special Mission Group: "I stepped aside to let the member pass. Because my mission was to seal off the area..."]

After learning that a resolution to demand the lifting of martial law had been passed, Colonel Kim ordered a withdrawal from the National Assembly around 1:08 AM.

[(Presumed) conversation between National Assembly official and 707 commander: "(Please leave quickly). For the safety of our troops. Understood. (You can go out and rearrange there). Yes, yes, yes."]

Subsequently, the 707th troops returned to their base using a unit bus at 4:19 AM.

This is KBS News, Kim Yong-jun.