South Korean President Yoon Suk-yul defended his surprise decision to declare martial law last week, saying he did so to protect the country's democracy.
In a surprise televised speech on Thursday, he said the attempt was a legal decision to “prevent the collapse” of democracy And the “parliamentary dictatorship” confronts the opposition.
Despite growing calls for him to resign or be removed, Yoon has indicated that he will not step down.
He said: “I will stand firm whether I am impeached or investigated.” “I will fight to the end.”
The president and his allies are currently facing… Investigations into rebellion charges, and travel bans were imposed on many of them.
But Yoon denied that his martial law order amounted to an act of rebellion, claiming that his political opponents were now creating “false incitement” to bring him down.
In his speech, his first since his apology on Saturday, he repeated many of the same arguments he used the night he declared martial law: that opposition was dangerous, and that by seizing power, he was trying to protect the public. And defending democracy.
However, Yoon added that he would not shirk his “legal and political responsibilities.”
Last weekend, an attempt by opposition lawmakers to impeach the president failed, after members of his ruling party boycotted the vote – but opposition members are scheduled to hold another impeachment vote this weekend and have pledged to hold a vote every Saturday until Yoon is removed from office. office.
Yoon's party had hoped to persuade the president to leave office early, rather than force him to step down.
Minutes before Yoon spoke, his party leader, Han Dong-hoon, appeared on television saying it had become clear he would not step down. Hahn then urged party members to vote to remove him from office on Saturday.
If South Korea's parliament passes the impeachment bill, a trial will be held before a constitutional court. Two-thirds of that court would have to maintain a majority for Yoon to be permanently removed from office.
Yoon has been a weak president since the opposition won a landslide victory in the country's general elections in April this year – and his government was unable to pass the laws it wanted, and was instead forced to veto bills proposed by the opposition.
