The finance minister and current acting president, Choi Sang-mok, testified at Assembly hearing Feb 6 on the note passed to him December 3, while he was speaking to Yoon directly. Yoon said "refer to it." Choi claims he doesn't know who gave it to him, he didn't read it, that it was already folded, and put it in his pocket. Acting President Choi claims he passed the note to a subordinate for handling (without knowing the contents), and after reading it the next day, he told him to disregard it, because the martial law effort was already over.

(Source- SBS youtube 2.6.2025) "제 얼굴 보시더니"…'쪽지' 받던 순간 증언한 최상목 / SBS 8뉴스

Yoon lied about the note when questioned by the Constitutional Court saying he knew nothing about it, didn't give it to Finance Minister, Choi, and only heard of it later when he read about it in the news. He's obviously lying. I think the body language in the still shot from the video (below) captures Yoon's demeanor, and the reactions of his legal team, which can be read in their expressions. The old guy, top left, the sphinx falling asleep; the younger member right rear, waiting anxiously for the necessary misrepresentations from Yoon; and a rigid poker face from the attorney to Yoon's left, (yes go ahead and say it, as we discussed earlier). What a brazen act. Yet such brazen dishonesty among lawyers and prosecutors in particular was commonplace during Yoon's reign as a senior prosecutor, then Prosecutor General, and then president.

(Source- MBC News youtube 2.7.2025 the last portion of the video is from Yoon's appearance at the CC 1.21.2025)

Yoon is asked, did you give this note to set up an emergency legislative body to finance (the martial law administration's) liquidity to the finance minister? Yoon says no, I knew nothing about it.

The memo gave 3 directives, make arrangements for financial liquidity, set up an emergency legislative body to pass finance legislation, and cut off funding related to the National Assembly.

The significance of the memo is that it is objective evidence of intent contrary to the purported temporary nature of the martial law announcement as contended by Yoon's defense. The memo proves Yoon's intent to disband and replace the National Assembly.

At the Constitutional Court hearing Thursday, Kwak Jong-geun, former Special Forces Commander, testified that when he was giving orders to military forces moving on the National Assembly building the night of December 3, he had left the microphone open at the command center, so that his conversations with the former Defense Minister and others, were heard by many subordinates. Thus, he had been unable to fabricate testimony about the operation, and basically was forced by a minor oversight, to tell the narrative of the operation as it happened.

Constitutional law experts and partisan political pundits from the opposition/democratic party side, believe the last CC hearing sealed Yoon's fate, and the CC has no choice but to dismiss Yoon from presidential office. However, the senior judge at the hearing was making an effort to impeach Genral Gwak's testimony, and previously other adverse witnesses. The opposition is evaluating this as a devil's advocate approach for testing the credibility of the witness. However the senior justice need only persuade two other justices to sway the decision in Yoon's favor, and the impeachment fails. This is because, the ninth judge was not appointed and earlier this week; the CC postponed ruling on the unconstitutionality of the acting president's failure to appoint the third judge in the National Assembly's three judge appointment, as required by constitutional provisions. The (acting) president's role in this regard, is strictly ministerial, and cannot be avoided. Will they ever rule on this? It's pending. If the ninth judge is appointed by the CC, it's likely Yoon will be impeached. Six justices must vote to uphold the impeachment to dismiss Yoon from presidential office. Currently the case has only been heard by eight justices. The last vacancy has not been filled because of resistance by the acting president who refuses to forward the nominee for the ninth seat vacancy. Choi has suggested he will comply with an order to do so, if the CC so orders.

Forthright testimony of Hong Jang-won, Kwak Jong-geun before CC, Yoon impeachment solidifies (홍장원∙곽종근의 솔직한 헌재 증언, 尹 탄핵 인용 굳혔다)

Moreover, it is said that former Commander Kwak at the time gave instructions with the microphone turned on, so the instructions were transmitted to the entire subordinate unit. If you look into it, the truth will be revealed. It is Yoon Seok-yeol, his lawyer, and the People Power Party who are polluting the words with mere wordplay that touches on trivial matters. It is pitiful that he is trying to avoid prison at all costs without showing any presidential behavior. Even petty criminals who are being tried in ordinary criminal trials do not do this.

Yoon Seok-yeol's pettiness does not end here. As it became difficult to change the so-called 'message (content)', he is using the method of attacking the 'messenger (speaker)'. He is constantly raising new issues, such as the words of former First Vice Minister Hong and former Commander Kwak changing or the circumstances not matching. However, the circumstances of the creation of the list of arrest targets including politicians and the actual operation of the arrest team have been sufficiently proven. Rather, the cover-up work of the female counterintelligence commander Yeo after the lifting of martial law was revealed through the statements of his subordinate officers. When he was cornered, Yoon Seok-yeol gained the right to speak at the 6th oral argument date and raised suspicions of 'impeachment work' against former National Intelligence Service Vice Minister Hong and former Commander Kwak. He claimed that the two had conspired with the Democratic Party three days after martial law to impeach him. The delusions of persecution and unreasonableness began again.

There is nothing more to expect from Yoon Seok-yeol, but his behavior has crossed the line. The most representative example is his attack on the Constitutional Court justices. He is claiming that Justices Moon Hyung-bae, Lee Mi-seon, and Jeong Gye-seon and their families should be excluded, citing their political inclinations. His intention is to incite the People Power Party and its supporters to shake the legitimacy of the Constitutional Court trial. It is a very dangerous act that encourages disobedience to the Constitutional Court trial and shakes the foundation of the rule of law. This is something that cannot be done without giving up being president.

Now, the last card Yoon Seok-yeol can play is to buy time. He can create a frame of the opposition party's operation and various conspiracy theories to gather supporters and turn the tables by manipulating public opinion. However, the more Yoon Seok-yeol speaks, the more he reveals lies. When former Commander Kwak called the people he had ordered to be dragged out of the National Assembly "people," Yoon Seok-yeol said, "I never used the word 'people', I just used the word 'people'." However, upon verification, it was revealed that he used this word several times in speeches and other documents. This shows that the person who lies casually is none other than Yoon Seok-yeol himself.

Yoon Seok-yeol said in his address to the nation after martial law that he would “stand firm against impeachment or investigation.” Now, it is right to stop blaming subordinates and responding in a petty-crime manner, and to openly confess the reasons and details of the declaration of martial law and ask for forgiveness. That is the only way for a person who was elected as the President of the Republic of Korea to meet a less shameful end. The Constitutional Court should also end the trial as soon as possible. There is no reason to listen to the absurdity and sophistry of Yoon Seok-yeol and his lawyers any longer.

출처 : 뉴스버스(Newsverse)(https://www.newsverse.kr) google translation

All of this assumes that continued unlawful opposition, "the insurrection," in opposition to Yoon's impeachment won't succeed. If the CC follows the law, the president will be impeached. It's only the legal grounds for impeachment that have "solidified."

Saturday, an estimated 100,000 people demonstrated at Gwanghwamun plaza and then marched through Seoul boulevards in support of Yoon's impeachment. This is spite of chilling temperature, 10 degrees C.

멍 나올 때 응원봉 돌리는 거 너무 좋음... 요즘 행진 중에 제일 좋아하는 곡... 이 노래 나도 꽤 어릴 때 나왔고ㅋㅋㅋ 찾아보니 2000년 발매곡인가 본데, 그 이후에 태어난 세대도 함께 돌릴 수 있는(?) 쉬운 안무인 게 너무 좋은 것 같다... pic.twitter.com/TiAo5pmB4w

— 정운 Jeong, Un (@coke_cloud) February 8, 2025

I love spinning the cheering stick when I'm feeling dazed... This is my favorite song during the march these days... This song came out when I was pretty young ㅋㅋㅋ and when I looked it up, I found out it was released in 2000, and I think it's a really easy choreography that even the generations born after that can do (?) together...

Yoon never ordered withdraw of troops from National Assembly, general says

The former leader of the Army Special Warfare Command who commanded martial law troops dispatched to the National Assembly in December testified before the Constitutional Court that President Yoon Suk-yeol had told him to have troops “quickly break down the doors of the National Assembly and drag out everyone inside” as lawmakers “apparently haven’t reached quorum yet.”

Yoon has denied all the charges levied against him, claiming that his opponents are crafting insurrection allegations to get him removed from office, but the special warfare commander has repeatedly confirmed that Yoon gave orders to neutralize the capacity of the National Assembly.

Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-geun took the stand as a witness in the sixth hearing in the trial for Yoon’s impeachment at the Constitutional Court in Seoul’s Jongno District on Thursday.

“On Dec. 4 [of last year] at 12:30 am, President Yoon called me on a secure line and told me, ‘They apparently haven’t reached quorum yet’ and ordered me to ‘Have troops quickly break down the doors of the National Assembly and drag out the people inside,’” Kwak said, confirming the content of the prosecutors’ criminal indictment of Yoon.

(edited a few times to clarify meaning. See my response below about the redundant "people" confusion in this google translation).