The leader of the 707th special mission group said his commandos are victims of Kim Yong-hyun, the ex-minister who was arrested Sunday. The group’s commandos were tasked with entering the National Assembly after martial law was declared.

Col. Kim Hyun-tae, who leads the Special Warfare Command’s elite 707th special mission group, told reporters Monday that he was responsible for making the commandos follow the ex-minister’s orders to break into the parliament’s main building.

“I made the commandos get into the National Assembly and break into the building. I’m responsible for all that the commandos did,” he said in a teary press conference outside the War Memorial near the Ministry of National Defense headquarters.

He also said the 707th special mission group commandos were “victims who were used by the former defense minister (Kim Yong-hyun).”

“I hope that you will forgive them as I am solely responsible,” he said.

According to the National Assembly Secretary-General Kim Min-ki, around 280 soldiers entered the parliament between 11:48 p.m. Tuesday and 1:18 a.m. Wednesday.