Former Special Warfare Commander Kwak Jong-geun has raised allegations that President Yoon Suk-yeol and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun attempted to persuade him through phone calls. While the Presidential Security Service (PSS) has strongly denied claims that it confiscated a secured phone, Kwak’s testimony continues, fueling a heated debate over the truth.
According to Kwak, during the martial law situation in December last year, just before he publicly revealed that the president had personally called him on a YouTube broadcast, both Kim and Yoon called him five minutes apart. When he did not answer, the PSS allegedly collected his secured phone.
Kwak stated that he received three calls from the secured phone provided by the PSS. "There were three calls, and I missed one. The last call happened in the morning of December 6," he explained. The final call was made right before he appeared on a YouTube broadcast hosted by lawmaker Kim Byung-joo. Kwak claimed that after declining Kim Yong-hyun's call, he received another call from the president’s unique number five minutes later.
Believing the calls were meant to persuade him, Kwak deliberately chose not to answer and placed the secured phone in a drawer. Kim Hyun-tae, commander of the 707th Special Mission Unit, who was in the same room, later testified to prosecutors that he saw the president's call and advised Kwak not to answer. Consequently, Kwak disclosed in the YouTube broadcast that the president had personally called during the martial law situation.
Soon after, allegations surfaced that the PSS had confiscated Kwak’s secured phone. Kwak claimed that this was an attempt to destroy crucial evidence after their persuasion efforts failed. He also interpreted Kim Yong-hyun’s remark—“The secured phone doesn’t record, so be confident"—as an attempt to conceal the truth.
The Presidential Security Service firmly denied Kwak’s claims, stating, "There is no truth to this whatsoever." However, the controversy remains unresolved, as the case has turned into a high-stakes battle over the truth surrounding Kwak’s so-called "conscience declaration."
Yu Chul-hwan, chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, classified Kwak as a public interest whistleblower and forwarded his testimony under the Public Interest Whistleblower Protection Act, which offers legal protection for whistleblowers.
Kwak's testimony includes allegations that President Yoon ordered the military to "break into the National Assembly and drag out the lawmakers" during martial law. This claim, he said, was a key reason for his decision to appear on the YouTube broadcast.
Despite the PSS's official denial, the allegations continue to spark controversy. As Kwak’s testimony conflicts with the government’s rebuttal, the case grows increasingly complex.
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