South Korean officials on Thursday gave the first inside account of the extraordinary step by the president to declare martial law this week, signaling that the move had caused disagreement, surprise and confusion among top military officials.

The South Korean general whom President Yoon Suk Yeol named martial law commander testified before lawmakers that he learned of the move only when Yoon announced it on television.

Despite his position, the general, Park An-su, also told the parliamentary committee that he did not know who ordered troops to move in on the National Assembly in an attempt to cordon it off. Later in the day, Park said he had offered to resign, and that his offer was under review by the Defense Ministry. The questioning lasted hours and appeared tense at times as lawmakers raised their voices in frustration.

The deputy defense minister, Kim Seon-ho, testified that the defense minister had ordered the troops in. Kim said he had opposed the mobilization. The defense minister, Kim Yong-hyun, resigned Thursday before the hearings and did not testify.

The hearings were an inquiry into why martial law was declared for several hours Tuesday night. Yoon’s extraordinary move plunged the country into a political crisis, caused widespread anger and drove thousands of protesters to the streets. Yoon has not been seen in public or made a public statement since early Wednesday.

The National Assembly is scheduled to vote Saturday on whether to impeach Yoon. Opposition lawmakers have a majority in the legislature, but an impeachment motion needs a two-thirds majority to pass. That would require some support from members of Yoon’s party. The opposition is hoping to take advantage of mass demonstrations scheduled for Saturday to create extra pressure as the vote takes place.

Yoon has been struggling with abysmal approval ratings for months. One of the first nationwide opinion polls conducted after the martial law declaration suggested overwhelming public disapproval of the move. More than 70% of South Koreans are in favor of impeaching him, according to the poll conducted by Realmeter, based in Seoul.

Protests entered a third night, as hundreds of people gathered outside City Hall in downtown Seoul on Thursday. Unions, student groups and the opposition have called for a large protest in Seoul on Saturday to coincide with the impeachment vote.

The New York Times Services