Seoul: The commander of South Korea's elite special forces unit, which stormed parliament following a martial law declaration, revealed on Monday that his orders were to block lawmakers from entering the chamber to prevent a vote on lifting the emergency measure.

Colonel Kim Hyun-tae, head of the 707th Special Missions Group, accepted full responsibility for the raid but emphasized he was acting under directives from the defense minister. The dramatic events unfolded after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on December 3, only to retract it hours later when parliament defied a security blockade to vote the order invalid.

The political turmoil deepened on Saturday when Yoon narrowly survived an impeachment vote in an opposition-dominated parliament, plunging the nation into a constitutional crisis. Despite facing mounting pressure, Yoon has not offered to resign, stating before the vote that he would leave his fate to his ruling party.

Kim recounted how his unit landed on parliament grounds with instructions to secure the area and prevent lawmakers from entering. However, they encountered resistance from legislative staff who obstructed their advance into the main building. "We were pawns used by the former defense minister, Kim Yong-hyun," an emotional Kim told reporters outside the defense ministry in Seoul. "My troops are not at fault. Their only mistake was obeying their commander’s orders."

The former defense minister was arrested on Sunday for his involvement in imposing martial law and deploying troops to parliament. The fallout has led to a power vacuum, with People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon announcing that Yoon would be excluded from state and international affairs. Government responsibilities will temporarily be managed by the party and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

However, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik argued that delegating presidential authority without impeachment is unconstitutional. Meanwhile, the opposition Democratic Party, which spearheaded the failed impeachment attempt, vowed to reintroduce the motion, signaling continued political instability.