Han Donghoon and Ahn Cheolsoo Clash Over 12·3 Actions: "Distortion" vs "What Is False?"

Independent lawmaker Han Donghoon and People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheolsoo are engaged in a dispute over the facts surrounding their actions during the December 3 Martial Law. After Ahn testified in court that “the first person to notify lawmakers to gather at the party headquarters, rather than the National Assembly, was Han Donghoon, who was the party leader at the time,” Han countered, saying, “He is distorting the facts.”

Han met with reporters at the National Assembly that day and, regarding Ahn’s courtroom testimony, said, “I will not comment on every aspect of his political activity, but I cannot allow a distortion of the facts of what happened that day,” adding, “This is an issue of history, not of individuals, so I intend to respond firmly.”

Previously, Ahn appeared the previous day as a witness in the trial of former floor leader Choo Kyungho (currently Daegu Mayor), who is accused of obstructing the vote to lift martial law, and testified that it was Han who first announced to People Power Party lawmakers that they should gather at the party headquarters that day.

On April 29, 2025, at the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, candidates Han Dong-hoon and Ahn Cheol-soo are seen conversing before the announcement of the results at the event revealing the third round presidential primary candidates of the People Power Party for the 21st presidential election. Photo by National Assembly Press Corps

Regarding this, Han explained, “On the day martial law was declared, I received reports during the relocation process that the National Assembly was completely sealed off, and I arrived at the party headquarters at 11:00 p.m. After that, I insisted that the National Assembly should pass a resolution to lift martial law, so I walked to the National Assembly at around 11:27 to 11:28 p.m. From then on, I strongly urged people to come to the National Assembly.”

Han continued, “If you look at Ahn’s own social media, he says he arrived at the National Assembly at around 12:10 a.m. but could not enter, but by that time, I was already urging people to come to the main chamber of the National Assembly. He is distorting what happened at 11:00 p.m. as if it happened at midnight.”

Ahn also refuted Han’s claim. Ahn said, “If you look at the materials distributed by the floor leader’s office at the time, after martial law was declared, it was the floor leader who first called lawmakers to the National Assembly. The party leader also called lawmakers to the National Assembly, but then changed the location to the party headquarters. I do not understand what part of my statement is false.”

Ahn added, “This issue was already raised during the witness questioning in the same trial this past April, when the question was asked, ‘Why did Han not write in his book about changing the original gathering location from the National Assembly to the party headquarters?’ This is nothing new.”

Han responded, “It is detailed in my book (‘The People Come First’, page 32),” and added, “I will firmly respond to false agitation such as ‘that content is not in the book.’ Such false agitation helps no one.”

Ahn, for his part, also commented on Han’s book, saying, “I read the book carefully, but where in the book does it say that Han first announced the Supreme Council meeting would be at the National Assembly and then changed it to the party headquarters? What is false and what is agitation?”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.