Prime Minister Han Duck-soo says President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law decree never underwent deliberation in a Cabinet meeting. 

Appearing as a witness on Wednesday before a special parliamentary committee formed to shed light on the martial law incident, Han said yes when asked by main opposition Democratic Party Rep. Min Hong-chul if the president declared martial law on December 3 without such deliberations. 

Han said he learned of the plan to declare martial law from the president around 8:40 p.m. on December 3 and proposed to Yoon that he convene a Cabinet meeting. 

Han said he made the proposal because he believed all the Cabinet members would oppose martial law, but that he ultimately was unable to prevent Yoon from declaring martial law. 

He said he feels deep regret for failing to stop the president and he apologized to the public. 

The prime minister said he believes the president’s move was wrong, and he described the martial law decree as abnormal.