Korea’s military pledged Thursday that it would never again be used as a tool of a president to impose martial law. The pledge came after the Ministry of National Defense's policy briefing to President Lee Jae Myung. The ministry outlined measures aimed at preventing any recurrence of the martial law incident that plunged the country into political and social turmoil. When former President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law last December, troops were mobilized to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from voting to lift the decree. “Our military offers a deep and painful reflection on its involvement in the illegal martial law of Dec. 3, 2024, which caused national confusion and damaged the constitutional order,” Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said during a press briefing following the report. “We will ensure that the armed forces are never again consumed or exploited as a tool of illegal martial law.” He added that the ministry would pursue sweeping institutional reforms while maintaining full-spectrum defense readiness. “We will strengthen democratic and institutional ove