Warrior South Korean President Yoon Seok-yul He defended his shock decision to declare martial law last week, saying he did it to protect the country’s democracy.
In a surprise televised address on Thursday, he said the effort was a legal decision to “prevent the destruction” of democracy. And fight the “parliamentary dictatorship” of the opposition.
Yun has suggested he will not step down before a second vote on his impeachment in parliament on Saturday.
He said that I will remain firm even if I am impeached or investigated. “I will fight to the end”.
The president and his allies are facing. Investigations into sedition charges, and many of them banned from leaving South Korea.
But Yun has denied that his martial law order was a coup, claiming that his political rivals are now creating “false incitement” to topple him.
In his address, his first since Excuse the weekendhe repeated many of the same arguments he had used the night he declared martial law: that the opposition was dangerous, and that by taking control, he was trying to protect the people and defend democracy.
However, Yun added that he would not shirk his “legal and political responsibilities”.
last weekend, Attempts by opposition lawmakers to impeach the president failed. When members of his own ruling party boycotted the vote. But opposition members are set to hold another impeachment vote later this week and have vowed to hold one every week until Yun is removed from office.
Yun’s party was hoping to convince the president to step down sooner rather than force him out.
Minutes before Yoon spoke, his party leader Han Dong-hoon appeared on television to say it had become clear. That the president was not going to step aside. Han then urged party members to vote to remove him from office this Saturday.
If South Korea’s parliament passes the impeachment bill, the case will be tried in the Constitutional Court. A two-thirds majority of the court must be maintained to permanently remove Yun from office.
Yun 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 he wants and veto bills proposed by the opposition. has been limited to
Yun also accused North Korean sympathizers of trying to undermine his government when he declared martial law last December 3.
Announcement Pushed the country into a political crisis.. Protesters clashed with security forces in front of the National Assembly building as lawmakers scrambled to reject Yun’s order.
Yun withdrew his martial law order hours after lawmakers blocked it.
Since then, the country has been on edge. There were massive demonstrations and strikes calling for Yun’s impeachment, and the presidential office. Raid on Wednesday. As Yoon faces multiple investigations on charges of rebellion and treason.
Meanwhile, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who resigned to assume responsibility for martial law, Attempted suicide while in custody on Wednesday.. He is in stable condition.