South Korea's National Assembly holds emergency questioning over martial law declaration... Ruling and opposition parties disagree on treason charges

On the 5th, the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly of South Korea held an emergency questioning session to clarify the circumstances surrounding President Yoon Seok-yeol's declaration of emergency martial law and its lifting.
Song Il-jong, chairman of the National Defense Commission of the ruling People Power Party, said at the general meeting, "It is unthinkable that a state of emergency has been declared in South Korea, a developed country.
Han Ki-ho, a lawmaker from the same party, said, "As a former member of the military and a politician, I am very embarrassed and sorry to the people."
"Whenever we affect the rights and rights of people, we must exercise absolute caution and act in accordance with the law."
In addition, Rep. Yoo Young-Won was the biggest suspect in raising suspicions of "preparing for martial law."
He apologized to opposition Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Min-Seok and other members of the opposition defense committee, saying, "My judgment was wrong." Rep. Yoo said, "We have made mistakes in our judgment in order to prevent the dispatch of North Korean troops to Russia and other major security issues.
"I cannot help but feel extremely disappointed that a situation has arisen that the people cannot accept, given the current circumstances," he said, adding, "It is the first time in half a century since the last state of emergency in 1979 that something like this has happened again."
"I would like to express my deepest apologies to the people for the unthinkable situation that has occurred," he said. However, the ruling and opposition parties are divided on whether President Yoon's declaration of emergency law constitutes the crime of treason.
Park Beom-gye, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, pointed out that the first proclamation issued by the Emergency Martial Law Command when the state of emergency was declared clearly stated to "prohibit political activities in the National Assembly and other places."
In relation to this, he said, "It is unconstitutional, illegal and invalid," and criticized, "President Yoon's declaration of a state of emergency, which is the source of this decree, is illegal and therefore constitutes a crime of treason."
Rep. Park Sun-won said, "The crime of treason is punishable by death, and the Minister of National Defense and the Minister of Public Administration and Security (who have the authority to propose emergency martial law) are under investigation. They carried out their duties as emergency martial law commanders in an illegal emergency martial law situation.
The Chief of Army Staff is considered a person who has committed a civil war or is involved in a civil war." Meanwhile, Lim Jong-deok, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, said, "Many lawmakers have rejected the idea of a 'civil war crime' for the emergency martial law commander.
"If there is something wrong, then the responsibility should be taken later, but it is not desirable in the current situation where the unconstitutionality and illegality of this (emergency martial law) has not been legally decided.
Rep. Gang Seong Yeon countered, "There is no intention to completely shut down the National Assembly to the extent that this (martial law) amounts to treason, and to prevent National Assembly members from carrying out the normal procedure to lift the emergency martial law.
"I don't feel that there has been any conflict," he said, adding, "It is impossible to conclude at this point that it is a civil war."