President Yoon Suk-yeol has been observed to be busily preparing for legal battles rather than resigning, including forming a legal team in anticipation of future Constitutional Court impeachment trials and investigations into insurrection charges. On the 11th, a ruling party official stated, "President Yoon instructed through the martial law command at the time to 'not block the entry of National Assembly officials and to let them in.'" This is a completely different explanation from the remarks made the previous day by Special Warfare Commander Kwak Jong-geun during a meeting of the National Assembly's Defense Committee. The official added, "The entire nation was watching the process of deliberation on the motion to lift the martial law in the National Assembly's plenary session through broadcasts, so how could the military have gone in and removed them?"

With Commander Kwak and the presidential office presenting completely different positions within a day, a truth battle is unfolding regarding whether President Yoon issued illegal military operation orders. This has led to interpretations that President Yoon is preparing for forced investigations and impeachment trials instead of voluntarily resigning.

In the early hours of that day, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who had advised President Yoon to declare martial law, was arrested, and Police Chief Jo Ji-ho and Seoul Police Chief Kim Bong-sik were urgently detained, indicating that the investigation net from the prosecution, police, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials is tightening around President Yoon.

However, despite the ruling party presenting a roadmap for an 'orderly exit,' if President Yoon refuses this and solidifies his stance to confront the impeachment trial, he is likely to face intense public backlash.

This would be tantamount to reversing his statement on the 7th, where he said, "I will leave the issue of my term and future political stability to our party."

Meanwhile, according to legal and political circles, it has been reported that President Yoon's side is exploring the formation of a legal team centered around former Korea Communications Commission Chairman Kim Hong-il, a former prosecutor, and his close friend Seok Dong-hyun, former Secretary General of the National Unification Advisory Council. It is also known that lawyers from the current government's legal secretary's office and mid-sized law firms have been approached to take on the case.

[Reporter Woo Je-yoon]