South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday defended his decision to declare martial law and vowed to fight “until the very last minute”.
“I will fight with the people until the very last minute,” Yoon said in a televised address.
He extended his apology to the people over the deployment of troops and said that he would “not avoid legal and political responsibility regarding the declaration of martial law”.
“I apologize again to the people who must have been surprised and anxious due to the martial law,” he said. “Please trust me in my warm loyalty to the people,” he added.
Condemning the opposition over his impeachment bid, Yoon said: “The National Assembly, dominated by the large opposition party, has become a monster that destroys the constitutional order of liberal democracy.”
What is happening in South Korea?
South Korea has been in turmoil since President Yoon declared martial law last week and dispatched troops and helicopters to parliament before being forced to make a U-turn in a night of unprecedented drama.
Kim Yong-hyun, country’s former defense minister, was arrested for his involvement in declaring martial law. Further, country’s police chief was also arrested in a probe into the failed martial law by the president.
Yoon is now under criminal investigation on rebellion accusations, but he has yet to be detained or questioned by officials.
He is set to face an impeachment motion on Saturday after the first impeachment vote failed last Saturday because most PPP members skipped the session.
