On the night of December 3rd last year, military martial law helicopters are seen hovering above the National Assembly Building in Yeouido, Seoul. Yonhap News.

When Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China's unified Qin dynasty, died, the eunuch Zhao Gao forged his will. Following the fabricated testament, he ordered the eldest son, Fusu, who was intelligent and strong-willed, and the renowned general Meng Tian to commit suicide. Instead, he installed his foolish second son, Huhai, as the second emperor.

  Naturally, power in the court fell to Zhao Gao. Perhaps still not feeling entirely secure, Zhao Gao one day brought a deer before the emperor and claimed it was a horse he was presenting. Huhai laughed, saying, "Is your vision failing, Prime Minister? You call a deer a horse?" Zhao Gao, however, insisted it was a horse.

  The emperor then asked the surrounding officials, "Does this look like a horse to you?" Zhao Gao suddenly turned around and scrutinized the reactions of the court officials. He was monitoring who would dare to contradict his assertion. Terrified, the officials one by one replied, "Yes, it is a horse."

  "Zhīlù wéimǎ" (指鹿爲馬), from Sima Qian's "Records of the Grand Historian," is an idiom meaning to point at a deer and call it a horse. It is a metaphorical expression used in politics and society when those in power distort the truth or mislead facts.

  Emergency martial law is an inherent authority of the President as stipulated in the Constitution of the Republic of Korea. Yet, in this country, a president who declares emergency martial law is branded as a rebel. And they watch with wide-open eyes to see who criticizes their logic as distortion and deception.

  At a State Council meeting in October, President Lee Jae-myung told Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek that individuals involved in the emergency martial law were included in the military promotion list, stating, "(If their involvement is) confirmed, they can naturally be excluded (from promotion), and even if promoted, it can be revoked." He then added, in his characteristic phrasing, "Choose them well." This meant to choose well who would call the 'deer' brought into the court the 'deer' it is.

  As expected, during the recent lieutenant general promotion process, candidates were asked a specific question by military personnel officials: "Is martial law rebellion?"

  It's obvious. Any mention of the Republic of Korea Constitution's provisions would lead to disqualification from promotion. How is this different from asking Christian believers to step on a cross to be spared? So, how should one act in the face of such Communist-style ideological screening? Many stepped on the cross, called the deer a horse, and confessed that martial law is rebellion.

  Of course, among them were promotion candidates who stated that a deer is just a deer. According to reports, he replied, "If it's going to be like this, I won't accept the promotion." However, the majority did not. Perhaps that's why they were promoted.

  Following this personnel decision, in the Army, Major Generals Han Ki-seong, Jeong Yu-soo, Lee Sang-ryeol, Lee Il-yong, Choi Seong-jin, and Lee Im-soo were promoted to lieutenant general and appointed corps commanders. Park Seong-je and Eo Chang-jun were promoted to lieutenant general and appointed Commander of Special Warfare Command and Commander of the Capital Defense Command, respectively. Kwon Hyeok-dong and Kang Gwan-beom were promoted to lieutenant general and appointed Commander of Missile Strategic Command and Commander of the Training Command, respectively. Lieutenant General Kang Hyun-woo, a graduate of the 50th class of the Korea Military Academy, was appointed as the Chief of Staff for Operations, Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with his promotion. Among existing Army lieutenant generals, Lieutenant General Park Jae-yeol, commander of the 7th Corps, was appointed as Commander of the Strategic Command, and Lieutenant General Park Huseong, commander of the 2nd Corps, was appointed as Superintendent of the Korea Military Academy. (Chosun Ilbo, November 14 report)

  The media did not issue a statement identifying any particular candidate who was not promoted. The author does not wish to know the names of those promoted to lieutenant general. They are simply being recorded for history.

  We must identify who made the statement, "If it's going to be like this, I won't accept the promotion." And that name must be recorded in the annals of history. A soldier's loyalty is to the Constitution, not to politicians. It must be added that they affirmed their loyalty is to the people, not to specific politicians.

  In the unlikely event of war, we must recall them as military commanders. Only then can our people survive. We cannot entrust our fate to those who can readily abandon the people and the Constitution for their own advancement and pleasure.

  An incident that reveals how much the Lee Jae-myung government fears those who call a deer a deer occurred during the trial of former President Yoon Suk-yeol related to charges of rebellion. Judge Ji Gwi-yeon, as the presiding judge of the Criminal Division 25 of the Seoul Central District Court, is currently presiding over the rebellion case trial. Judge Ji asked the prosecution bench.

  "How about calling Ms. Yeo In-hyeong as well? Even a little bit, how about it? Are you, the prosecutors, prepared?"

  The prosecutors fell silent. Then Judge Ji said again,

  "Don't make sad faces."

  A female official seated in the back row was seen trying hard to suppress a laugh. The prosecutors remained silent.

  Former Director of the Defense Security Command, Yeo In-hyeong, is a defendant being tried on charges including participation in major rebellion duties related to this case. There could be various reasons why the prosecution is avoiding Yeo In-hyeong's testimony. We all know them, but choose not to say them!

  It's not just the Director of the Defense Security Command. Commander Moon Sang-ho of the Intelligence Command and former Commander Noh Sang-won of the Intelligence Command are in the same situation. The Lee Jae-myung government and the prosecutors in the rebellion trial have thoroughly hidden Noh, Yeo, and Moon since the December 3rd emergency martial law, as if they were in medieval dungeons. This is completely different from Commander Kwak Jong-geun of the Special Warfare Command, whom they incessantly summon.

  Why is the Lee Jae-myung government so intent on isolating Noh, Yeo, and Moon from the public? Is it out of fear they will say, "A deer is just a deer"? Or that they will say, "If it's going to be like this, I'll go to jail"? Or perhaps that the Central Election Commission's words will be brought up?

Lee Shin-woo, Former Editorial Writer for The Munhwa Ilbo and Author of 'Election Fraud and Rebels'