South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol has defended his recent declaration of martial law, framing it as a necessary move to safeguard the nation’s democracy.
This comes as the country’s parliament announced receiving a new joint motion from six opposition parties seeking to impeach the president.
Earlier in the day, President Yoon vowed to remain in office despite allegations of rebellion and insurrection.
“I will fight to the end,” Mr Yoon declared in a televised address, “to prevent the forces and criminal groups that have been responsible for paralysing the country’s government and disrupting the nation’s constitutional order from threatening the future of the Republic of Korea”.
The embattled president’s remarks came just hours before the liberal Democratic Party submitted a fresh impeachment motion against him, accusing him of overstepping his authority.
The National Assembly said the main opposition Democratic Party and five smaller opposition parties submitted the impeachment motion on Thursday afternoon.
The parties say they aim put the motion to a floor vote on Saturday.
Parliament on Thursday also passed motions to impeach national police chief Cho Ji Ho and justice minister Park Sung Jae, suspending them from official duties, over their enforcement of martial law.
Mr Yoon, however, insisted that his actions were lawful, claiming his decision was aimed at countering what he described as a “parliamentary dictatorship” by the opposition.
The opposition Democratic Party quickly dismissed Mr Yoon’s statement as “an expression of extreme delusion” and “a declaration of war against the people”. Kim Min Seok, head of a party task force, accused the president of attempting to incite riots by far-right forces.
The National Assembly launched a probe against Mr Yoon’s martial law decree after a commander testified he received direct orders from the president to detain lawmakers.
“If the testimony is true, it means that the president was attempting to stop the National Assembly from voting to lift martial law – that is, to make it impossible for the parliament to exercise its power by force,” speaker Woo Won-shik told reporters Wednesday, reported the Korean Herald.
Mr Woo confessed that on the night of martial law he was forced “to climb over a wall to get inside” the assembly as the police blocked access.
Special Warfare Commander Lieutenant Kwak Jong Geun told the Assembly on Tuesday that president ordered him to “break open the door” and “drag lawmakers out” before chamber reached enough votes against martial law declaration.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s 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 “a presidential election that could possibly be soon held”.
The controversy erupted on 3 December when Mr Yoon invoked martial law, deploying fewer than 300 soldiers to the National Assembly.
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.
Earlier this week, Mr Yoon’s former defence minister was arrested for allegedly orchestrating the martial law plan and abusing his power.
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.
Despite widespread criticism, Mr Yoon dismissed accusations that his actions amounted to rebellion, labelling the opposition party “anti-state forces” and a “monster” threatening South Korea’s constitutional framework.
“The 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?” he questioned during his address.
Opposition lawmakers, who hold a majority in parliament, have vowed to push for Mr Yoon’s 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’s 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.
If the impeachment motion passes, the case would move to South Korea’s constitutional court, where a two-thirds majority would be required to permanently remove Mr Yoon from office.
Mr Yoon’s speech was expected to deepen a divide inside the PPP. When Mr Han Dong Hun, a critic of the president, called Mr Yoon’s statement “a confession of rebellion” during a party meeting, the president’s loyalists angrily jeered and called on him to stop speaking. Mr Han urged party members to vote in favour of Mr Yoon’s impeachment. Opposition parties and even some PPP members say the martial law decree was unconstitutional.
South Korean law allows the president to declare martial law only during wartime or similar emergencies. They argue that deploying troops to seal the National Assembly to suspend its political activities amounted to rebellion because the constitution doesn’t give a president such rights in any situation.
Police, prosecutors and other agencies are investigating whether Mr Yoon and others involved in imposing martial law committed rebellion, abuse of power and other crimes. Earlier this week, the Justice Ministry banned Mr Yoon from leaving the country, but it’s still unclear if they would be able to detain or arrest him. A conviction for rebellion carries a maximum penalty of death.
Since losing control of parliament in a landslide election earlier this year, Mr Yoon’s 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’s democracy.
As the president faces intensifying calls to resign, he maintained he would not evade accountability. “I will not avoid my legal and political responsibilities,” he stated, indicating a prolonged battle ahead in South Korea’s escalating political turmoil.
Additional reporting by agencies
