Photo: Kim Mu-seong. Credit: Wikipedia Commons.
Kim Mu-seong 김무성, former leader of the conservative Saenuri Party 새누리당 during the Park Geun-hye 박근혜 administration, confirmed that Park’s Blue House 청와대 ordered the military to prepare for a martial law declaration.
In an interview with Sisa Journal 시사저널 on April 26, Kim said Park and her Blue House officials expected to prevail in the impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court 헌법재판소, and ordered the military’s Defense Security Command 기무사령부 to prepare for a martial law situation to suppress the protest that would ensue.
Kim also said that at the time, the liberal leaders including Moon Jae-in 문재인 preferred Park to resign rather than face impeachment, as they sought to avoid the delay and uncertainty of the impeachment trial. According to Kim, some of the conservative lawmakers also wanted Park to resign rather than face the disgrace of an impeachment, but Park refused to step down.
