South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has vowed to “fight to the end” against attempts to remove him from office after the short-lived imposition of martial law, while police again attempted to search his office to investigate him for alleged insurrection.
In a defiant, lengthy television speech last week, Yoon defended his decision to impose martial law – a measure intended to suspend political activities and press and civic freedoms – as a legitimate “act of government,” and denied any wrongdoing. tried to foment insurrection.
Two days before the National Assembly voted for the second time to impeach Yoon, he repeated that he had tried to defend the country from anti-state forces: “I will fight until the end to prevent the criminal forces and groups responsible for paralyzing the country’s government.” and alter the constitutional order threaten the future of the Republic of Korea.”
The South Korean president added that his declaration of martial law, which lasted only six hours before Parliament revoked it, was aimed at defending liberal democracy and constitutional order against opposition attacks.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported Thursday that police had attempted to search Yoon’s office, a day after their first attempt was thwarted by presidential security guards. It was unclear whether the second attempt had been successful.
Speculation that South Korea’s political future could be decided at the polls increased after the ruling party elected Kweon Seong-dong, a veteran lawmaker, as its new leader. Despite his closeness to Yoon, Kweon stated that he would prepare for “a presidential election that may possibly be held soon.”
In his speech, Yoon stated that his martial law decree did not amount to rebellion and could not be the subject of a criminal investigation: “The opposition is now doing a dance of chaos, claiming that the declaration of martial law constitutes an act of rebellion.” . But was it really?”
“I apologize again to the people who must have been surprised and anxious by martial law. Please trust my loyalty to the people,” the president added.
Yoon, a conservative whose tenure has been marked by controversy, survived an opposition-led impeachment vote last weekend after all but three members of his People Power party refused to participate.
His statement came hours before the main opposition party, the Democrats, introduced a new impeachment motion that would reportedly be put to a vote on Saturday night.
The leader of Yoon’s own party, Han Dong-hoon, declared Thursday that the president should be immediately suspended from office after declaring short-lived martial law last week. Han said the only way to do that is for ruling party lawmakers to vote for impeachment.
Yoon’s martial law decree on December 3 has sparked political chaos and protests calling for his resignation.
The investigation focuses on determining whether Yoon and other senior military and government officials involved in the imposition of martial law committed rebellion. A conviction for rebellion carries a maximum penalty of death.
Earlier this week, Yoon’s former defense minister, Kim Yong-hyun, was detained on charges of playing a key role in a rebellion and committing abuse of power. He became the first person to be formally detained by the martial law decree.
Kim, one of Yoon’s close associates, has been accused of recommending martial law to Yoon and sending troops to the national assembly to prevent lawmakers from voting on it. Finally, a sufficient number of deputies managed to enter the parliament chamber and unanimously rejected Yoon’s decree, forcing the cabinet to adjourn it before dawn on December 4.
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