Witness of the National Emergency Meeting, Song Mi-ryeong - Between Testimony and Continuation

Prologue - The Face of a Minister

In May 2025, on the day the second reshuffle of the Lee Jae-myung government was announced, the attention of the political arena was focused on one individual: Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung. She was appointed during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and was a key witness in the 'December 3 Martial Law National Security Council' incident, which is why she was retained. Immediately after the announcement, the Blue House described Minister Song as a "prepared cabinet member," citing practicality, expertise, and responsibility as reasons for her retention. However, interpretations from the political sphere and media diverged. There was a strong perspective that her retention was a "reward for cooperation in the investigation" or "political compensation for shifting allegiance to the regime." Notably, the fact that she was the only minister who was promoted despite witnessing the key scene of the ‘insurrection National Security Council’ and cooperating with the investigation led to an analysis that it conveyed a political message.

Shadow of the State Council - December 3, 2024

On the early morning of December 3, 2024, Minister Song Mi-ryeong received an urgent call from the presidential office and headed straight to Yongsan from Gimpo Airport. The exact purpose of the meeting was not communicated. Like other cabinet members, she was unexpectedly summoned and only realized upon arriving at the meeting venue that it was not a simple cabinet meeting but rather a discussion regarding 'martial law'. At that time, she testified, 'There was no declaration to signal the start of the meeting, nor was there any explanation of the agenda or distribution of materials.' When she asked Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min sitting next to her, 'What kind of meeting is this?', the only response was the two characters 'martial law'. At that moment, Minister Song recalled that her 'heart started racing and her mind went blank'. Without any explanations, without prior agreements, only the president's statements flowed during the meeting, which failed to even be called a 'meeting' and was merely a 'decision-making place'. Without any meeting procedures, opening declaration, or closing declaration, the cabinet members were dispersed. There was no agreement, no voting, and only a vague justification of a national crisis hung in the air.

Key Testimony of National Investigation

As the circumstances surrounding this incident transitioned into suspicions of a coup d'état or unconstitutional emergency declaration, the police and prosecution began to summon the participants for questioning one by one. Minister Song Mi-ryeong appeared before the Seoul National Police Agency's Special Investigation Unit on December 15, 2024, and was questioned for about seven hours as a witness. She stated during the investigation that 'the meeting on that day did not resemble a Cabinet meeting at all and was conducted without the input of ministers or procedural agreement.' She specifically pointed out that 'dressing up a meeting that was essentially dissolved after the President's unilateral remarks as a Cabinet meeting could be a violation of the law.' Additionally, she explained that 'she had neither agreed to nor participated in the declaration of martial law and could not even comprehend the existence of the meeting itself at that time.' In front of the investigators, she conveyed her feelings at the time, saying, 'I felt powerless, incompetent, and angry.' Furthermore, she expressed, 'I apologize to the public for not being able to play any role in the meeting or stop it.' Her statement, particularly that 'we were merely summoned to fill the numbers that day,' was recorded as a clear indication of how undemocratic and unilateral the decision-making structure of the meeting was.

Change named Yui?

Since then, the situation has rapidly changed. Investigations and impeachment motions against former President Yoon Seok-youl and some high-ranking officials have intensified, while the Lee Jae-myung administration has emphasized a 'practical cabinet' under the banner of political stability and unity. Among them, Minister Song Mi-ryeong has been retained. This retention was not merely interpreted as a continuity of policy or a prioritization of expertise. The interpretation that Minister Song's cooperative attitude towards investigative agencies and her factual testimony regarding the 'attempted martial law' was decisive gained traction. Some in the political sphere saw this as a 'strategic shift.' Despite being appointed by the Yoon Seok-youl government, she remained the only minister who aligned herself with the Lee Jae-myung administration after the regime change. The fact that she was also a witness and testifier in the insurrection meeting carries strong symbolic significance. Following the announcement of her retention, President Lee Jae-myung stated, 'Minister Song was a prepared appointee and responded with the most proactive and sincere attitude at the first cabinet meeting.' However, the opposition raised strong objections, calling it the 'reappearance of a cabinet that condones insurrection' and 'a compensatory appointment without punishment for those responsible.' In particular, during the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, and Fisheries Committee, criticism that her retention was an 'exoneration for collaborators of insurrection' was recorded in the official meeting minutes.

Song Mi-ryeong as a character

Minister Song Mi-lyeong has a career that is rare in the political realm. Although she is not a specialist in agriculture and livestock, she is a bureaucrat who has built practical skills in organizational administration and budgeting. During the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, she was appointed as a 'non-political expert-type minister' and focused on resolving agricultural policy issues. However, following the martial law cabinet meeting, her position shifted from a simple administrative bureaucrat to a 'witness to a national crisis.' In an official briefing after her reappointment, she expressed regret over her silence, stating, "Thinking back to that day still makes me wake up in a jolt. I should have grabbed the hems of their pants and stopped it." She did not make any political statements or express political solidarity or loyalty. However, she ultimately survived. Survivors in a regime change period are often evaluated by their stance rather than their words. It is clear that the way she survived was not through 'silence that was unspoken,' but rather through 'statements that were made.'

Epilogue – The Meaning of Testimony

When the balance of power in a nation collapses and the constitutional order is at risk, it may be an administrator rather than a politician who records that historical truth. Minister Song Mi-ryeong was the only one among countless cabinet members who silently held her position on the day known as the insurrection cabinet meeting to reveal the truth of that day after the incident. She acknowledged her powerlessness as a cabinet member and confessed her responsibility to the people. At the same time, it is unpredictable how that testimony will be interpreted and utilized in the hands of power. Minister Song Mi-ryeong's retention may serve as a political signal. The regime has judged its alliance with her on substance rather than form, and her testimony has become the standard for that judgment. The act of revealing the truth can sometimes lead to being abandoned by power, but in some cases, it can also lead to being chosen by power. Song Mi-ryeong stands on that boundary. We do not yet know her motives for testifying, her intentions for remaining in that position, or what future she will choose. However, it is clear that she regretted the silence of that day and became a witness to history through her subsequent testimony. Whether that testimony was a means of political survival or a result of conscience will be evaluated by time. The weight of truth always reveals itself slowly.