South Korean president says martial law was an act of governance and denies rebellion charges

Impeachment attempt

Photo: The Canadian Press

A participant holds a banner with writing reading "Arrest the rebellion leader Yoon Suk Yeol", during a rally to demand South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment outside the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024.

South Korea's president defended his martial law decree as an act of governance and denied rebellion charges in a statement Thursday suggesting he has no intention of resigning and rejecting the impeachment attempts and investigations into last week's move.

Yoon Suk Yeol's televised statement Thursday came hours before the main liberal opposition Democratic Party submits a new impeachment motion against Yoon. The opposition party plans to put the motion on a floor vote this Saturday.

Its earlier attempt to impeach Yoon fell through last Saturday, with ruling party lawmakers boycotting a vote at the National Assembly.

Yoon’s Dec. 3 martial law decree has generated political chaos and protests calling for his ouster.

“I will fight to the end, to prevent the forces and criminal groups that have been responsible for paralyzing the country’s government and disrupting the nation’s constitutional order from threatening the future of the Republic of Korea,” Yoon said.

Yoon said his martial law introduction was meant to defend the county’s liberal democracy and constitutional order in the face of the liberal opposition party, which he says threatens the constitution.

Yoo said his martial law decree was an act of governance that cannot be the subject of investigations and doesn’t amount to rebellion.