enticed Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has defended his shocking decision to declare martial law last week, saying he did so to protect the country’s democracy.
In a surprise televised address on Thursday, he said the effort was a legal decision aimed at “preventing the collapse” of democracy. and against the opposition’s “parliamentary dictatorship”.
Yoon has suggested that he will not resign before the second vote to impeach him in parliament on Saturday.
“I will stand firm whether I am impeached or investigated,” he said. “I will fight to the end.”
The president and his allies are facing investigated for sedition, and some of them were banned from leaving Korea.
But Yoon has denied that his martial law order was an act of rebellion, claiming that his political opponents are now creating “false incitement” to bring him down.
In his speech, the first since Mr weekend apologyHe repeated many of the same arguments he used the night he declared martial law: that the opposition was dangerous, and that by taking control he was trying to protect the public and protect democracy.
However, Yoon added that he would not shirk his “legal and political responsibilities”.
Last weekend, Opposition lawmakers’ efforts to impeach the president failed after members of his ruling party boycotted the vote. However, opposition members are expected to hold another impeachment vote later this week and have vowed to hold a vote every Saturday until Mr. Yoon is removed from office. .
Yoon’s party had hoped to persuade the President to leave office early rather than force him out.
Minutes before Yoon spoke, his party leader, Han Dong-hoon, appeared on television and said everything had become clear. that the president will not step aside. Han then called on party members to vote to remove him from office this Saturday.
If the South Korean parliament passes the impeachment bill, the constitutional court will hold a trial. A two-thirds majority of that court would have to maintain a majority for Yoon to be permanently removed from office.
Yoon has been a lame duck president since the opposition won a landslide victory in April’s general election – his government has been unable to pass the laws it wanted and has only been able to veto resolve bills proposed by the opposition.
Yoon also accused North Korean sympathizers of trying to weaken his government when he declared martial law on December 3 last year.
Notification pushed the country into political instability. Protesters faced off against security forces in front of the National Assembly building while lawmakers scrambled to vote against Yoon’s order.
Yoon withdrew the martial law order hours after being blocked by lawmakers.
Since then, the country has remained in a difficult situation. There have been massive protests and strikes calling for the impeachment of Yoon, and the presidential office raid on Wednesday as Yoon faced multiple investigations for insurrection and treason.
Meanwhile, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who resigned and took responsibility for martial law, attempted suicide while in custody on Tuesday. He is in stable condition.
