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South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol has defended his recent declaration of martial law, framing it as a necessary move to safeguard the nation\u2019s democracy. <\/p>\n
Facing mounting public protests and impeachment attempts, he vowed on Thursday to remain in office despite allegations of rebellion and insurrection.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will fight to the end,\u201d Mr Yoon declared in a televised address, \u201cto prevent the forces and criminal groups that have been responsible for paralysing the country\u2019s government and disrupting the nation\u2019s constitutional order from threatening the future of the Republic of Korea\u201d.<\/p>\n
The embattled president\u2019s remarks came just hours before the liberal Democratic Party submitted a fresh impeachment motion against him, accusing him of overstepping his authority.<\/p>\n
Mr Yoon, however, insisted that his actions were lawful, claiming his decision was aimed at countering what he described as a \u201cparliamentary dictatorship\u201d by the opposition.<\/p>\n
Protesters hold signs, depicting the names of ruling People Power Party lawmakers who didn\u2019t vote during the impeachment motion against South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol (Reuters)Meanwhile, South Korea\u2019s ruling party on Thursday picked Kweon Seong-dong, a veteran politician close to President Yoon, as its new floor leader. After being elected, Mr Kweon said he will prepare for \u201ca presidential election that could possibly be soon held\u201d.<\/p>\n
The controversy erupted on 3 December when Mr Yoon invoked martial law, deploying fewer than 300 soldiers to the National Assembly. <\/p>\n
He argued the move was intended to maintain order and prevent the opposition from derailing the democratic process. However, critics have labelled it an assault on constitutional governance, leading to political chaos and widespread protests demanding his removal.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, Mr Yoon\u2019s former defence minister was arrested for allegedly orchestrating the martial law plan and abusing his power. <\/p>\n
Prosecutors have also accused Kim Yong Hyun, ousted defence minister, of advising the president to deploy troops to block parliamentary votes on the decree. Mr Kim, currently in custody, reportedly attempted to take his own life but was stabilised after intervention by detention centre officials.<\/p>\n
Despite widespread criticism, Mr Yoon dismissed accusations that his actions amounted to rebellion, labelling the opposition party \u201canti-state forces\u201d and a \u201cmonster\u201d threatening South Korea\u2019s constitutional framework. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe opposition is now doing a knife dance of chaos, claiming that the declaration of martial law constitutes an act of rebellion. But was it really?\u201d he questioned during his address.<\/p>\n
A screen shows South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol speaking during a televised address at a bus terminal in Seoul on 12 December 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)Opposition lawmakers, who hold a majority in parliament, have vowed to push for Mr Yoon\u2019s impeachment with weekly motions until he is removed from office. Their initial attempt last weekend was thwarted when members of the ruling party boycotted the vote. This week, however, Han Dong Hoon, leader of Mr Yoon\u2019s own conservative party, openly called on party members to support the impeachment effort, saying it had become clear the president would not step down voluntarily.<\/p>\n
If the impeachment motion passes, the case would move to South Korea\u2019s constitutional court, where a two-thirds majority would be required to permanently remove Mr Yoon from office.<\/p>\n
Since losing control of parliament in a landslide election earlier this year, Mr Yoon\u2019s administration has struggled to push its agenda, relying instead on vetoing opposition-proposed legislation. His martial law decree, however, has heightened the political crisis, with many questioning the future stability of the country\u2019s democracy.<\/p>\n
As the president faces intensifying calls to resign, he maintained he would not evade accountability. \u201cI will not avoid my legal and political responsibilities,\u201d he stated, indicating a prolonged battle ahead in South Korea\u2019s escalating political turmoil.<\/p>\n
Additional reporting by agencies<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emails I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our\u00a0privacy policy South Korean president Yoon Suk […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3922,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n