When the so-called ‘Martial Law Documents’ incident broke out in the Moon Jae-in government, Reserve Colonel Min Byeong-sam (59, 43rd class), who was the head of the Defense Ministry’s Defense Ministry, said in an interview with this magazine, “In 2018, the ‘Martial Law Documents’, which were classified as the second-class military at the time, were distributed to the Military Human Rights Center, etc. We need to investigate how it was leaked.” On July 24, 2018, when Colonel Min was serving as the head of the 100th Security Unit, he appeared before the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee and disclosed in front of Defense Minister Song Young-moo, “Minister Song said that the ‘Garrison Order is not wrong’.” At the time, Minister Song said it was a “perfect lie,” and Colonel Min was attacked like a “public slaughter” (Democratic Party).

Now, five years later, former Minister Song is under investigation by the Criminal Investigation Agency for High-ranking Officials on charges of forcing his subordinates to sign (abuse of power) by making a document stating that he did not make statements that Colonel Min testified at the time. Colonel Min, who we met at a cafe in Gangseo-gu, Seoul on the 18th, said, “I was not afraid because I was only answering the truth in front of the people,” and “Minister Song, who denied the truth, was dumbfounded.” He, who submitted an application for discharge right before attending the National Defense Commission, said, “I have to tell the truth, but the opponent is a living power, so I decided to quit my military life.”

The controversy over the ‘Martial Law Document’ was triggered on July 6, 2018, when the Military Human Rights Center, a private organization, released the full text of the document. At the time of the impeachment trial of former President Park Geun-hye in 2017, the Defense Security Command wrote a document titled ‘Measures for Wartime Martial Law and Joint Operations’. It was a document prepared under the assumption that a large-scale unrest could occur regardless of whether the impeachment was upheld or rejected by the Constitutional Court. Three days later, on July 9, Minister Song also said at a meeting with the Ministry of National Defense, “The guard order is not wrong. When I inquired with the legal community, they said there is nothing wrong with planning for the worst. I think the same. However, I hope you will review whether it constitutes an abuse of authority,” said Colonel Min.

On July 24, 2018, Minister of National Defense Song Young-moo, who appeared before the National Assembly National Defense Committee, is listening to Defense Commander Lee Seok-gu’s response regarding the martial law documents./Reporter Lee Deok-hoon

At the time, the Democratic Party and others argued for the dissolution of the Defense Security Command, saying, “It is a coup d’état and a plot for civil war.” During his visit to India, President Moon Jae-in gave instructions to “form an investigation team and investigate quickly.” However, if it was true that Minister Song said, “There is no problem,” the legitimacy of the investigation would inevitably be shaken. Then, suspicions were raised that Minister Song made a ‘factual confirmation letter’ stating that he had “never made such a statement” and asked the attendees to sign it. Colonel Min did not sign until the end. This magazine contacted the former Minister Song several times by cell phone and text message to hear his objection, but it was not connected.

The day after Colonel Min’s testimony to the National Defense Commission, people carrying ‘ministerial orders’ broke into the office and searched the computer메이저놀이터. Colonel Min said, “Later, I heard that Minister Song had given orders to review disciplinary measures or legal action against me five times.” Colonel Min was dismayed to see the Moon Jae-in government disbanding the Defense Security Command and some Defense Security personnel taking their lives in the dust-raising investigation by the authorities, and was discharged in 2019 after serving as the deputy commander of the 23rd division.

Regarding the ‘Martial Law Document’, President Moon Jae-in at the time called it “illegal deviation.” However, Colonel Min said, “It is a plan that should have been established by the military, whose top priority is to ensure national security.” Regarding the claim that the plan to deploy real soldiers in the document was a ‘conspiracy of civil war’, “In order for the actual operation to take place, the commanders of the 3rd Army and subordinate division commanders had to practice at the command post and go through specific training procedures, but the field commanders did not even know the existence of the plan. “The document was only a very basic preparedness plan,” he said.

The martial law document collection unit mobilized 37 prosecutors to investigate 200 people and search and seize 90 locations for 100 days. However, instead of conspiracy to rebellion, only three people were charged with making false public documents. Colonel Min said, “They said they would catch a tiger with an axe, but only caught three mosquitoes.” Colonel Min said, “The Blue House Moon Jae-in was also aware of the existence of the document at the beginning of the regime, but I know that it was judged that there was no problem.”