[Civil Diplomatic Letter No.11]
A Declaration on the State of Affairs of the Alliance Waiting for the Invocation of Wartime Operational Control
Today, we are witnessing that the destiny of our nation and the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea are facing a massive, turbulent storm.
In the past, the core constitutional institutions of the country gravely undermined the constitutional order to remove the President from office.
Leaving behind a legitimate President who was not legally and completely dismissed, as many as three consecutive elections were held under distorted constitutional processes, which ended up helping the establishment of ruinous forces and an illegitimate regime change.
As a result, the lawful President suffered in prison without guilt, and the hypocrisy of an “unwarranted pardon,” lacking any reason or justification, was perpetrated.
This entire process of forcefully removing a legitimate President from office was a historical event that most gravely undermined the constitutional order of the Republic of Korea.
Due to this, popular sovereignty is being constrained by a power lacking constitutional legitimacy, and all public authority of the state has been seized by these illegal forces.
The current situation, stained with internal corruption and illegality, has now reached an extreme limit that can absolutely not be overcome through domestic legal procedures or conventional means.
Some might deny that the current situation is a war, saying, “I do not hear gunfire in my ears.“
However, war clearly includes not only visible conventional warfare but also “unconventional warfare,” such as ideological warfare and propaganda aimed at instigating internal division and subverting the system.
Now, the Republic of Korea is undeniably in a wartime situation, standing at the crossroads of national existence in the face of an unconventional warfare offensive by unseen enemies.
The reckless movements to subvert the Republic of Korea into communist control (reddening) have reached their peak, and all public authority of the state has been seized.
In this grim reality where even the national military is treated as an obstacle to reunification under communist control, we, the awakened citizens, have made a resolution for national salvation.
We have the ‘ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty,’ which is an undeniable international treaty approved by the Constitution of the Republic of Korea and the foundation of our alliance.
Accordingly, in order to save our homeland which is rushing toward destruction and to protect the well-being of the people, we have come to request the invocation of Wartime Operational Control from our ally through numerous ‘civilian diplomatic letters.‘
At the same time, we have continued the work of broadcasting the current situation and seeking understanding from the friendly nations that participated in the Korean War in 1950 and protected our freedom through noble sacrifices.
The invocation of Wartime Operational Control and entry into the alliance’s joint management system under the ‘ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty’ is an inevitable and necessary measure of national salvation to restore the broken security sovereignty of the Republic of Korea and to swiftly recover the constitutional order.
Before this grave era of national crisis, upholding the pride of the citizens of the Republic of Korea and the command of history, we solemnly declare the path of sovereign reconstruction that we must take.
Background and Motivation for the Invocation of Wartime Operational Control
Motivation (Overcoming Domestic Legal Limitations):
The citizens of the Republic of Korea always stand before the historical mission of defending the Constitution and protecting liberal democracy.
However, due to the illegal impeachment that stripped away constitutional values and the illegitimacy of the current power, it has become impossible to navigate through this national crisis on our own using only the domestic judicial and political systems.
The Constitution, the highest norm of the state, has been torn to shreds by subordinate laws and regulations, existing now merely as a nominal formality under which it is difficult to guarantee the substantive sovereignty of the people.
Despite this situation, has there been even a single jurist who properly pointed out the total lawlessness (absence of law)—the root problem of this national crisis—namely, the ‘Principle of Subordinate Legislation Priority’ that brought about the shredding of the Constitution?
The Constitution that was devastated in that manner was my very own Constitution, our citizens’ Constitution, and our children’s Constitution.
Yet, instead, were they not playing the game of impeachment trial while presupposing a ruler who lacked constitutional legitimacy as if they were a lawful ruler?
They sent the lawful President to prison, and the illegitimate regime that usurped power dismantled the system of separation of powers.
They are mass-producing all kinds of evil laws, rushing headlong into anti-national policies characterized entirely by ‘national division,’ ‘destruction of security,’ and ‘fiscal worsening.‘
Therefore, to protect the natural human rights of each individual citizen and to defend the existence of the Republic of Korea, we chose a legal mechanism based on an international treaty, the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty.
Cause (The Arrival of Modern Unconventional Warfare):
The reality where national sovereignty is endangered is a crisis of security—the protection of the lives of the people—moving beyond simple political conflict.
Even if there is no sound of artillery, the attempts to subvert the system through internal division, external pressure, and ideological pollution represent an ‘unconventional warfare’ situation, which is the core of modern warfare, and the Republic of Korea has effectively met a national crisis equivalent to a state of war.
When the constitutional institutions, which are the center of state operations, flung open the latch of illegal impeachment, the citizens opened the gates to the enemies through three deceptive presidential elections.
As a result, we allowed the hacking and slashing of unlawful, unauthorized governance upon our citizens, and that period has persisted for nine years.
Even though the country’s situation has reached this point, the inability to even recognize the illegality is the undeniable reality of the Republic of Korea today, and I cannot help but feel ashamed of the reality of a Republic of Korea that has fallen into lawlessness.
However, just as we must boldly expose a shameful wound to treat it completely, we must solemnly accept that even bitter international disgrace and embarrassment are inevitable processes to revive a Republic of Korea sickened by lawlessness into a healthy state governed by the rule of law.
Progress (Joint Management of the Alliance):
Accordingly, Wartime Operational Control has been invoked in accordance with the ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty, and the United States Forces Korea Command and the Republic of Korea have entered into a joint management system of the alliance.
The joint management system following the invocation of Wartime Operational Control is an equal, partnership-based cooperation to protect the common values of freedom and democracy.
The citizens must clearly recognize this phase not as dependence on foreign powers, but as a transitional measure for self-reliance, independence, and national reconstruction.
First, we engrave once again the constitutional spirit and the will to defend popular sovereignty (主權在民).
The Constitution of the Republic of Korea declares, “The sovereignty of the Republic of Korea shall reside in the people, and all state authority shall emanate from the people.“
The Constitution is the fundamental norm of the state and the supreme legal order that guarantees the freedom of the people.
Even in the reality of physical protective control by our ally under the ‘joint management of the alliance following the invocation of Wartime Operational Control,’ the foundation of the state of the Republic of Korea can never change or stop.
We engrave deeply into our hearts once again, as if with blood, that the true master of this land is none other than the citizens of the Republic of Korea themselves.
Therefore, we will resolutely reject all attempts to shake the foundation of democracy, external interference, and internal complicity, and we will firmly defend the constitutional order.
Second, we remember the historical responsibility of the ROK-U.S. alliance and break away from blind dependence.
The ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty is a promise of an equal, historical blood alliance already formed with blood to protect freedom and peace.
We solemnly accept that this invocation of Wartime Operational Control was an inevitable choice for the solidarity of the free world and the survival of the Republic of Korea amid a security crisis.
However, the invocation of Wartime Operational Control (OPCON) is merely a military measure under the ROK-U.S. combined defense system.
We make it completely clear to the citizens that this is an entirely different concept from a subordinate, dominant system that seizes all legislative, judicial, and executive branches of the state, or an inhumane, hidden subjugation.
While honoring the value of the blood alliance and the solidarity of the international community, we clearly declare to the entire world that the ultimate purpose of our alliance of values lies in securing complete independent peace and security on the Korean Peninsula based on mutual respect.
Third, we unite as one against ruinous internal division and extremist ideological propaganda.
Historically, our nation has either invited crisis by dividing among ourselves during times of national distress, or conversely, created immense miracles by uniting as one.
We will reawaken the great national potential that brought about the March 1st Movement, the April 19 Revolution, and the Miracle on the Han River.
The reason we collapse is due to internal division and ideological pollution rather than foreign invasion.
We must painfully awaken to the evils of populism, internal division, and the state-destruction campaigns led by extremist ideological propaganda forces that brought about the current crisis.
Now is the time to look at reality calmly, transcending political factions, ideologies, and social classes.
We must face the cold reality of international politics that no ally will help those who do not help themselves, and we must protect the existence of the state with a unified will under the banner of ‘National Salvation (救國).‘
Fourth, we march forward toward the path of reconstructing a self-reliant nation for future generations.
The joint management of the alliance following the invocation of Wartime Operational Control can never be made permanent, and no measure that deviates from the mutual agreement can be justified.
The path that our Republic of Korea must take is the path of ‘self-reliance (自立) and reconstruction’ by standing up on our own after overcoming today’s national crisis.
This is to restore the self-esteem of the Republic of Korea in all areas of politics, economy, national defense, and culture, and to hand down a proud, unified, self-reliant, and independent state to future generations without being shameful.
Accordingly, we urge all citizens to participate in the national salvation movement in each of their workplaces and public squares.
Our Resolve
Therefore, we, the entire citizens, resolve as follows:
The citizens of the Republic of Korea are sovereigns born on this land with the historical mission to defend freedom and the Constitution. We will never frustrate or compromise with communist socialism before the solemn command of history.
Alliance and cooperation make our strength even firmer. The United States and the Republic of Korea are not in a dominant-subordinate adversarial relationship, but are equal partners safeguarding the common values of global freedom and democracy.
The ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty will defend the spirit of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, which was plundered by enemies, and will restore the national security sovereignty endangered by the misgovernance of the illegal regime.
Even under the protection of the alliance, the self-reliant decisions of the Republic of Korea will not waver. Based on the great partnership-driven alliance of values, both nations will march forward, cooperating proudly with a unified will until the day national sovereignty is completely restored.
We will walk together on the path toward the freedom and reconstruction of our homeland within international solidarity.
O, great citizens of the Republic of Korea, rise up all at once under the banner of national reconstruction and the defense of freedom!
We firmly believe that history and justice will surely stand on the side of our citizens.
June 2, 2026
