President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a public address at the presidential office in Seoul on Dec. 12, 2024, in this photo provided by his office. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday defended his botched martial law declaration as an act of governance and denied insurrection charges facing him, while vowing to fight until the last moment against whether it is impeachment or a martial law probe.
In a televised public address, Yoon said sending troops to the National Assembly during martial law can’t amount to insurrection, while defying calls to step down.
Yoon said he used his presidential power to declare martial law “to protect the nation and normalize state affairs” against the opposition that paralyzed the government, calling it a “highly calibrated political judgment.”
“Whether I am impeached or investigated, I will fairly confront it,” he said.
Yoon accused the opposition of obstructing the government with impeachment efforts and cuts in necessary budgets planned for next year, saying it is “performing a frenzied sword dance.”
Following the martial law decree, the National Assembly has passed next year’s budget of 673.3 trillion won (US$471.5 billion) as cut by the main opposition party and impeachment motions against the chief state auditor and prosecutors despite opposition from the ruling People Power Party (PPP).
“The National Assembly, dominated by the large opposition party, has become a monster that destroys the Constitutional order of free democracy,” Yoon asserted.
The main opposition Democratic Party controls 171 seats in the 300-member parliament.
Yoon revealed that he ordered the former defense chief Kim Yong-hyun to check the voting system of the National Election Commission, raising questions over its credibility following alleged cyber attacks by North Korean hackers.
“I will fight till the last month together with you,” Yoon said, once again apologizing for causing inconvenience with the brief imposition of martial law.
Ahead of his public address, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon expressed support for impeaching Yoon to avoid further confusion, calling on his party’s lawmakers to vote based on their own “conviction.”
(Yonhap)
