▲ A file photo of Lee Jin-woo, former head of the Capital Defense Command (Yonhap)
▲ President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) attends his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court in Seoul on Feb. 4, 2025. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Yoon-impeachment trial

(LEAD) Ex-military commander refuses to testify at Yoon's impeachment trial

(ATTN: UPDATES with details of hearing; CHANGES headline, photos)

SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Yonhap) -- A former military commander accused of involvement in President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law refused to testify during Yoon's impeachment trial Tuesday.

Lee Jin-woo, former head of the Capital Defense Command, appeared during the fifth formal hearing of the trial at the Constitutional Court after being called as a witness by the National Assembly's legal team.

The parliamentary team has been acting as the prosecutor in the trial on whether to uphold or reject the Assembly's impeachment of Yoon over his short-lived Dec. 3 imposition of martial law.

"I myself am involved in a criminal case and a process is under way to determine whether to accept or deny the prosecution's report," Lee told the hearing, referring to his own trial on charges he played a key role in an insurrection.

"I am aware it is a serious and important situation, but please understand that I am restricted considerably," he said, suggesting his answers could work against him.

Yoon was also at the hearing.

Lee, who is currently under arrest, reportedly told prosecutors earlier that Yoon ordered him to instruct troops to carry out lawmakers from inside the National Assembly building on the day martial law was imposed, "firing guns and breaking down doors" if necessary.

Aside from Lee, Yeo In-hyung, former head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command, and Hong Jang-won, former first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, were also called to testify during Tuesday's hearing.

Yeo allegedly received orders from then Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to arrest and detain opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and then ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon, among others.

Hong, meanwhile, has told lawmakers he received a phone call from Yoon instructing him to "round them up and get rid of them."

Yoon has defended his actions as a "warning" to the opposition party while denying giving orders to arrest politicians.

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